The Brighter Side of Mercury
by Glint of Steel
Summary: It all began with his cryptic Geometry teacher-the downward spiral of Jeremiah's life. "Forsaken," "mediocore," "pathetic," they say. His situation begs the question-can he ascend the shackles his destiny has placed upon him? Is he doomed to achieve only as his origin allows him to? Deception lurks around the corner and answers call from afar.
1. Jim's Pet Jaguar

The tree creaked and to my horror, it fell right towards us.

My leg was wounded; I'd never make it out in time.

It was over.

I shut my eyes and clenched my teeth.

Fwhack!

I heard a grunt and when I opened my eyes, I saw Jim standing over me. He was holding the tree up with both hands. His face was red from the effort and his legs began to buckle.

" _Go. It's coming._ " he whispered.

I shuddered and crawled. I used another tree for support and stood up. My leg throbbed as I began limping away.

I didn't get very far before I heard a crash.

"JIM!"

 **Four hours earlier**

Laughter echoed as students bustled through the halls. I made my way downstairs and bumped into a kid as I approached the stairwell.

My eyes met those of a boy the size of a panda. He flashed gave me a look. If he sat on me or something, I feared I wouldn't make it.

I apologized with my head lowered.

I pushed through the crowd but I couldn't help but notice that something felt wrong. There was this tug in my heart. It felt like it was sinking. Despite being surrounded by all these people, I felt like an outsider.

On the first floor, there was a girl leaning towards a guy as they proceeded to make out. Some of the guys were tossing a football while the deans scolded them. People were in groups chatting in languages I couldn't understand. I felt distant from even those who were speaking English. I didn't have many friends-I really only had one.

There was one dean that was particularly strange; she would eye me as if I had three heads. In fact, she was doing it right now. She would sniff me out and give me detention even if I was late by a tenth of a second. I could be two floors below her and she would track me down. I really wouldn't be surprised if the woman had some sort of radar. I think her name was Ms. Frit. She was slim and she wore plastic old lady glasses even though she was probably still in her thirties. I passed by and she grabbed my wrist-clenched my wrist. Her nails were surprisingly sharp and surprisingly painful.

"Is something wrong?" I managed.

"We-" she was interrupted before she could finish.

"Hey, wait up!" a familiar voice called out.

When I turned, I saw a tall, muscular guy. He had light green eyes and curly blonde hair. "What's up?" he asked as he looked down at Ms. Frit's nails. I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

"Is Jeremiah in trouble?" he asked.

Ms. Frit forced a smile. "No, dear. I just wanted to tell him to have a nice vacation."

Something told me she was lying. Ms. Frit let go of my wrist and I walked towards the exit with Jim. My wrist was tomato red where she had grabbed me. I rubbed it uncomfortably until we were off school property.

"Dude, thanks for the save," I said.

He laughed. "Don't mention it."

Jim had always been the upperclassmen who was soft on the others. I mean, we were both seniors in high school but Jim had facial hair before any of us and his biceps were the size of rocks. He had been held back a few times but he didn't seem bothered by it. Jim always found his way towards me and he was always relieved to see I was well.

"Sometimes, I feel like she's always picking on me. There are delinquents that are like a half hour late to school and yet she finds me when I'm a minute after the bell. And what a grip! My arm still stings. Is that woman even human?" I ranted.

"She isn't," he replied coolly.

"Are you coming over?"

He nodded. "There's something important I need to discuss with your mother."

With my mom? I thought he was joking but his expression was serious.

We said nothing for the remainder of the walk.

Once we got upstairs, I yelled out, telling my mom that Jim was along with me. I saw her swiftly remove some letters from the dining table and I frowned when I realized what they were: overdue bills. We were pretty poor so it was commonplace for things like this to happen. My mother was a single parent and she worked long hours trying to pay our expenses. The last time we shopped for clothes was about six months ago.

Her name was Margaret Tantz and she was one of the most resilient people I knew. My father was estranged from the family when I was very young and she was forced to take care of me alone. After going to college, she found herself buried in debt. We moved into a smaller apartment and her side of the family would always berate her for being with my father in the first place. My mother grew to become irascible and strict. I wasn't allowed to leave the house unless I was with her-which was kind of silly considering I was seventeen. My mother was really over-protective and she would flinch when I would talk to her about teachers that had been rough with me-namely Ms. Frit.

I usually obeyed my mother but there was this one time I stayed late to get some Calculus tutoring without telling her about it. She literally drove to my school and interrogated the security guard. She was absolutely furious. I'm sure she left flames in the main lobby of my school. She yanked me out by the ear and gave me a long lecture.

I don't know why she gets so worked up about me being alone.

She approached us and I looked into her tired eyes. She had more bags under her eyes than did a grocery store checkout lane. She hugged me and greeted Jim. While she did, I noticed they shared a grave expression for a moment. It almost seemed like she nodded ever so slightly.

Maybe I was just imagining things. I didn't think too much of it then but I wish I had payed more attention.

"Well, I'm glad you're both here. How was your last day before the break?" she asked.

I talked about Ms. Frit grilling me for no reason and Jim talked about sports. She pursed her lips and looked at him.

I went to the bathroom because I didn't dare go in school. The janitor probably had to wear a hazmat suit each time he walked in.

When I got back, something seemed different. Before I could figure out what it was, Jim said, "If you don't mind, me and Jeremiah are going to get going now."

She nodded and gestured towards a small suitcase. "I've packed all your things. Jeremiah, i'm sending you with Jim to a summer camp. Everything has been arranged."

Did I miss something?

"I don't-" I stammered.

"I'm sorry this was so sudden-it's just," she bit her lip and looked at Jim. "It's really important that you go with him."

She looked like she was about to cry and she hugged me tightly.

I was too stunned to react. Why was she acting like this?

"I-don't understand...I'll still see you again, right?" I asked.

She didn't respond. She only hugged me tighter. She held my face and said, "Take care of yourself. Pay attention. Visit me-if you can."

I was super confused. I wouldn't be surprised if some guys jumped out from behind our sofa and told me it was all a big prank. I looked but nothing happened. She would never let me out-even with a friend.

My mother turned to Jim and whispered something in his ear.

I stood there, motionless. I wish I had said goodbye to her then and there.

Jim grabbed my suitcase and pulled me towards the door. I looked again at my mom: her face was scrunched up like a child who just stubbed her toe.

Me and Jim hurried downstairs and down the sidewalk. Jim was walking rather briskly and every once in a while, I had to walk faster to catch up to him.

"Jim," I puffed. "Why was my mom acting so weird?"

He walked faster.

I hurried behind him. Didn't he hear me?

Our walk came to an end when Jim slowed down abruptly. I almost crashed into him and asked him what the big idea was but I realized he was looking for something.

He was eyeing the cars parked ahead of us and he muttered something to himself. Then, a smile grew on his lips.

I looked ahead and saw a red, 90's Ford Fiesta. He fished for something in his pocket.

I approached the passenger's seat but Jim kept walking. Apparently, that wasn't the plan.

His car keys glistened and he crossed over onto the road and walked up to the car in front of the old Ford.

My jaw dropped.

Standing before us was a gleaming red, Jaguar F type.

Jim put my suitcase in the trunk. "Hop in."

"You're kidding."

"What? Did you think I drove a pickup truck?" he joked.

I opened the door and the scent of leather and citrus blast air freshener infiltrated my nostrils. I sat down and noticed the round, jet black dashboard. I put on my seat belt and marveled. I had never been in a car this expensive. How did Jim even have one of these?

He inserted the keys and turned. The car beeped and I almost jumped when the engine roared to life.

I guess that's why they call it a Jaguar.

He revved up the engine and pulled out of his parking spot. Pretty soon, we were on the highway with Fallout Boy blaring. He was talking about how his friend suggested he get a Mercedes but I wasn't really listening.

I was too busy thinking about what had happened. I thought I would spend my summer with my mom but in a moment's notice, I was on the road, in a sports car, heading towards some sketchy summer camp.

"Jim, I like Mercedes as much as the next guy but where is this camp? How long are we going to stay there?" I asked.

Jim exhaled. He opened his mouth to say something but a gurgling noise interrupted him.

It was my stomach. I hadn't eaten since breakfast.

He took an exit and drove into a McDonald's parking lot. The engine hummed and went silent once Jim turned the keys.

I realized I didn't have any money and I pointed it out bashfully but Jim waved it off. The air smelled of ice cream and fried food. It was strangely satisfying. Jim, however, was sniffing every couple of seconds. Something told me he wasn't enjoying the same scent. I couldn't really concentrate because I was so hungry.

We sat down and I thanked him. I wolfed down my food but Jim was still. His head was slightly tilted and he seemed like he was uncomfortable.

"Dude, dig in," I said.

He nodded but he still had this concerned look on his face.

I was halfway through my sandwich when he stood up. His chair scraped the ground and he said "Get in the car."

"But I didn't-"

He yanked my arm and dragged me across the room. We left our half eaten meal on the table. Before we exited, I turned to look back at my smores but I saw something that scared my appetite away.

I spotted a thin woman with grandma glasses.

I was moving quickly, surely it could have been someone else.

My gut disagreed.

Jim and I got into the car and pulled out of the parking lot. He got onto the highway and drove without saying a word. No Fallout Boy, no talk of cars.

He was stealing glances at the rear-view mirror and I couldn't tell why. Our car was the only one on this side of the highway. He sped up and I felt really uneasy all of a sudden.

Why was he in such a rush?

It began to get dark as our car raced down the lane. We were going so fast that the slightest bump gave us some air time.

It happened again.

"That's my pet Jaguar, " Jim finally said.


	2. I Meet my Flying Foe

Every once in a while, a strange sound would make my ears pop. I turned to the window and rolled it up.

It happened again. It was like the sound of a cloth against the wind. A batting sound. A loud one at that.

We made a sharp turn on the highway and through my sideview mirror, I spotted something that made my jaw drop: something muscular was flying in the air, tailing our car. I could be losing it but this thing looked like it had the wings of a bat.

"Jim, what's going on!?" I pleaded.

Jim exhaled. "Things are going to get ugly."

Before I could ask for an elaboration, Jim said, "Whatever you do, don't leave my side unless I tell you to. Follow all of my directions exactly as I tell you to. Clear?"

When did he turn into Simon says?

 _"Are we clear?"_ he repeated.

"Yeah, yes, we are," I replied, nodding.

He had a grim expression on as we got off the highway and onto a road near the woods.

Something shrieked and I cupped my ears. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It sounded like...like a trumpet. A mega trumpet.

Jim cursed and muttered something that sounded like, "She's worse than I thought."

Who's worse than he thought? Could it be...

"Jeremiah, it's gaining on us. We have to get out of the car very soon." Jim stole a glance at the rear-view mirror. "There's a sword in the trunk. I want you to take it and to use it however necessary."

"A sw--"

"Now's not the time for questions! Your life, as well as mine is in danger."

Emotions coiled and festered within me.

Phewwwwm!

Something that sounded like a valkyrie launched and hit the asphalt a few feet ahead of us.

Jim spun the steering wheel.

The tires screeched and a deafening scraping sound filled the air. It continued for a few more seconds.

It came from my side. What looked like a giant stick of lead had scraped against the right side of the car.

We picked up speed again and to my surprise, Jim didn't complain about his paint job being ruined.

He drove a hundred yards or so and pulled over. He threw off his seat belt and yelled, "Get out of the car and grab the sword! Leave everything else!"

I did as I was told.

The trunk opened and I saw something gleam behind my bag. I picked up the sword, and stared for a second at the orange and yellow luster.

"Jeremiah, go!" Jim's voice was almost shrill.

He gestured towards the woods and said "Keep running, don't look back. Pass a thick pine tree and continue until you reach what looks like a farmhouse."

I was going to say something, but Jim's tone suggested acquiescence as a better alternative.

I ran, intentionally avoiding looking at the sky. There is no way this is happening. But somehow it is. I'm huffing and puffing so that's real enough.

The familiar valkyrie sound was back.

Something rushed behind me but before I could turn, a sharp object pierced my leg.

I collapsed and an acute pain shot through my calves. Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Jeremiah! Jeremiah!"

The sound of a trumpet blared again and sreeching birds flocked to the skies.

Was that an arrow or was that a bird? Something was flying round after round but my head was roaring much louder.

I raised my head. A giant piece of lead or whatever it was had pierced my leg and was now wedged into the ground beside me. Something was running in my blood. Something I knew didn't belong. It stung remorselessly.

My heart skipped a beat. Poison.

Panic crawled its way into my throat.

"Jeremiah, you have to get to the farmhouse. I'm coming. Just stay with me." Jim said, breathlessly.

I struggled to stand, my head swimming. Was my face drenched in sweat? Too many useless thoughts.

Pheeewwm!

The giant projectile slammed into a tree ahead of me. A low, groaning sound came from the tree.

The tree creaked and to my horror, it fell right towards us.

My leg was wounded; I'd never make it out in time.

It was over.

I shut my eyes and clenched my teeth.

Fwhack!

I heard a grunt and when I opened my eyes, I saw Jim standing over me. He was holding the tree up with both hands. His face was red from the effort and his legs began to buckle.

 _"Go._ It's coming." he whispered.

I shuddered and crawled. I used another tree for support and stood up. My leg throbbed as I began limping away.

I didn't get very far before I heard a crash.

"JIM!"

Anger was bubbling within me. Somehow, I was standing. I spotted my sword.

A thud was followed by a demonic snarl.

And I saw my foe: a thick beast, with the body of an auburn lion, the dark, taut wings of a bat and the malevolent tail of a scorpion.

It roared its trumpet-like cry but I was already at my sword.

I blinked and the beast was upon me. The tail beared down with immense speed and I swung my sword, too little too late.

It slammed into my stomach and I flew into something hard and bark-like.

My head dropped. I could hear the beast run towards me.

I looked up in time to see the contorted, grotesque figure with gleaming yellow eyes.

Something thin smacked into the beast.

It shrieked and swung its head.

Another arrow pierced its arm.

The beast wailed and spun its head to face its attacker.

Jim stood on a rock, bow and arrow ready. He had blood dripping from his hairline but he stood calm and focused as if this was daily routine.

The beast sprang and flew towards him, traveling much faster than anything I had ever seen.

Jim fired an arrow and missed. He fired another one and the beast arched its tail.

My eyes widened and I ran with my sword.

The beast launched the projectile from its tail and Jim jumped off his vantage point.

The rock was skewed by the beast's handiwork.

I huffed and limped as the beast fired another projectile.

I was ten feet behind it. I poised and charged.

The beast turned but I swung with an unearthly battlecry.

My sword cut through the muscular tail, cleanly and easily.

The beast shrieked as the tail collapsed with a thud.

An odd odor emanated from the tail and Jim took this opportunity to fire another arrow.

The beast had tried to pounce on me but Jim's arrow threw it off.

Instead, it collapsed onto me, crushing me underneath its massive, lionesque body.

The pressure of the beast's torso was overwhelming but suddenly, it lifted.

Everything crumpled and turned into yellow powder. My chest ached. It hurt just thinking about getting up. The pain was back.

"What was that?" I whispered.

"Manticore," Jim heaved.

My vision began to blur and I saw nothing but black.

My head felt light and I fell in and out of consciousness numerous times. I saw people I didn't recognize, all muttering things I couldn't capture.

I dreamt that I was drinking a banana smoothie and that a dark-haired girl was feeding me fudge. It must have been a dream because it was wonderful.

However, upon smacking my lips, I could still make out a tinge of the familiar taste.

"He's waking up!" a voice shouted.

I heard clomping noises and the sound of some metal sqeaking.

My eyes fluttered open slowly and I saw a dingy ceiling fan and the face of the dark-haired girl I had seen earlier.

"Don't move, you're hurt," she warned. Her voice was soft.

Wait. What happened? My leg! Poison.

I shot up and pain clawed through me.

I fell back down with a groan. My ribs throbbed and breathing became hard.

Someone laughed. "He did exactly what you told him not to do."

"Poison. What happened?" I whispered.

"I took care of it," another, deeper voice said.

I opened an eye and saw a man with brown hair parted in half. He had an impressively groomed beard.

My head began spinning again and I fell into a slumber.

When I woke up, daylight shone in through a nearby window. Something told me this wasn't the same day I awoke last time.

This time, there was only one person in the room. She was mixing something in the corner of the room. It was that dark-haired girl. She had her hair in a twisted halo. The rest of her long hair was slightly curled but I couldn't tell if it was naturally curled or not.

I pulled off my sheets and turned so that my toes grazed the floor. I was wearing the same torn clothes I was when Jim and I fought the manticore.

 _Manticore._ A chill ran down my spine.

I stood up and nearly fell. My sense of balance was way off. I felt as if I went to an amusement park and rode everything they had.

"Here." The girl took my arm gently and slung it over her shoulders. She placed one palm on my chest to steady me.

I was close enough to smell fresh peaches. Probably her shampoo.

I met her eyes and we stared for a moment.

She had milky skin, dark, almond shaped eyes and slightly colored cheeks.

Her cheeks reddened as I stared. We both looked away immediately.

"I'll take you outside," she said softly.

And so we ventured together.


	3. A Mummy tells me my Future

We stepped outside and trudged slowly, my spaghetti legs struggling to walk.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"About a week," she replied. "Oh! I'm Helen." She laughed and added, "I should have introduced myself earlier."

I turned to the sound of metal colliding. I realized I could also hear kids shouting and horses neighing in the distance.

"Don't worry about it. I'm Jeremiah...Thanks for feeding me and stuff."

A smile grew on her face. "You're welcome. You're going to need your strength."

We approached a farmhouse and before we entered, I noticed some teenagers running around donning orange shirts that read something like "Camp Half-blood."

Helen's long chiffon dress scraped against the floor as she helped me up the steps. I pointed it out to her but she waved it off.

We apporached a door left ajar and Helen knocked.

A few seconds passed without a reply and Helen announced she was entering.

We took a few steps and I caught a few words of what sounded like an argument.

"--Forget about it."

"--the disappearances. Let me take them to the orac--"

The conversation ceased as our footsteps grew louder.

The man with the parted brown hair and beard looked concerned.

"Sorry for intruding! The door was open and we knocke--" Helen was cut off when the man raised a hand.

There was a second man with a purple Hawiian shirt and he said, "They didn't hear anything."

The brown haired man whispered something into the ear of his companion. The guy in the Hawiian shirt nodded.

"Jeremy! So nice to see you!" the guy in the Hawiian shirt said with fake enthusiasm.

Before I could correct him, he introduced himself as Dionysus and the brown haired man as Chiron. Chiron managed a smile when Mr. D stated he trained heroes.

"Mr. D, if you will." Mr. D removed some bundled papers from within a drawer and gestured me towards him. "Sign here, here, here, here and here."

Chiron handed me a pen, still trying to surpress his concerned expression.

Once all of the introductions were done, Chiron clapped me on the back. "Fortunately, Jim was able to keep an eye on him. Helen, why don't you give Jeremiah a tour of the--"

As Chiron was finishing his sentence, a girl came storming into the room. She surveyed the situation, avoided Chiron's dirty look and then grabbed my wrist.

"I'll give him a tour," she said, leading me out of the room.

I struggled to stand but the girl offered little to no support.

"Hey! He's still groggy!" Helen cried.

"That's my problem," the new girl muttered.

We walked outside. Well, I stumbled outside. The aroma of roasted beef and steaming dishes immediately caught my nose.

My stomach whined for a bite. "Can we pleaseee stop for food before you give me a tour? I don't think i've eaten regular food in a week."

The girl rolled her eyes and it was then when I noticed how attractive she was: she wore small earrings, blonde hair tyed in a bun, short shorts and a camp shirt. She had mascara on her sea green eyes.

I ate voraciously but I couldn't help but wonder--what disappearances were they talking about? People at this camp go missing?

Before I could continue, the girl grabbed my wrist again and led me to a pavillion.

"I'm Jessie, questions later," she said.

I frowned. She's not much for conversation.

Jessie showed me the camp, and throughout the tour, I noticed the campers, human and non-human alike, were giving me sidelong glances.

Finally, we returned to the cabin with peeling brown paint. There was a caduceus over the door and even from the outside, I could tell it was overpopulated.

People were shouting and some were arguing while music played from somewhere within the cabin.

"Since your parent hasn't claimed you, this is where you're gonna spend your time," Jessie explained, gesturing towards the door.

"Wait, claimed?" I asked, scratching my head.

"Don't count on it," a voice said from behind us.

I looked over my shoulder and saw a muscular boy who seemed at least a year or two older than me.

"Rejects like you don't ever get claimed. Step away from my girl," he commanded.

I suddenly noticed Jessie's hand on my wrist. I stepped aside.

"Wait, what's going on?" I asked, shaking my head.

The lean boy scoffed and walked towards me, stopping inches away from my face. "Don't think you can come to this camp and make a move on my girl when i'm not around."

Jessie crossed her arms and turned away.

Apparently, that wasn't the right thing to do.

The boy grabbed me by the hair and dragged me across the path.

"Hey! Wait! I didn't know she was your girlfriend! She just grabbed my wrist and gave me a tour. I swea--" my pleas were brought to a halt when he tugged harder.

He stopped by a fountain and I got sick feeling in my stomach.

The boy held me by my shirt collar and shoved my head into the roaring fountain.

My vision blurred and water gushed into my mouth, mercilessly and unceasingly. I swung my arms and flailed but the boy's grip was steel.

My heart banged against my chest and my lungs ached. If he keeps this up, I'm not going to make it.

Yet, he wouldn't stop. My chest felt like it was going to burst--I felt like I had water coming through my nostrils.

Just when I thought it was all over for me, he pulled me back and let me fall. I coughed, gagged and sputtered, reeling and writhing on the floor as my head pounded.

I shuddered and he chuckled. "He ain't a son of Poseidon then."

I shook my head but that just made the spinning worse. There were some kids watching from afar, but no one intervened.

He locked his arm under my armpit and set his sights on something in the distance.

My senses were coming back to me and I got the notion that this guy wasn't going to stop. I got out of his grip once, only to be socked in the jaw.

He took me into a building, shoved me up the stairs, ignoring the green fog growing from the cracks in the wall.

There was plenty of ancient Greek stuff but that wasn't what scared me. I got the feeling something creepier was hidden in this place.

We got to the attic and the lean boy smirked as he brought my head towards a mummy's shriveled skull.

"This is what you're gonna like look when I'm done with you." With each syllable, he moved my head closer to the mummy.

I struggled to move back but stopped when I noticed the uncanny eyes of the mummy--they were open now, glowing green.

A strange, green mist suffused the floor and it no longer smelled like mildew and sawdust.

An ancient and weary voice said, "I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. You have approached seeker, and I shall propound your future."

The lean boy released my head but I couldn't move a muscle. I gaped as the mummy proceeded.

"Five shall go west before summer's time,

they shall rescue kin from a land sublime,

one withheld at the altar of the king,

one crossing them at the sound of the ring."

The mist subsided and the Oracle's mouth and eyes ceased to glow. I looked at the boy, who still had his mouth hanging open, clearly as shocked as I was.

"We gotta get out of here," he said, raking his hand through his sand colored hair.

"Repeat it exactly as you heard it," Chiron commanded, arms clasped in front of him.

I groaned and repeated what the Oracle had said. Chiron had me repeat the words of the oracle at least half a dozen times.

The lean boy, whose name I learned was Lucas, turned out to be a counselor and he was interrogated before me. He had already left by the time Chiron started with me. I wanted to tell Chiron about what Lucas put me through but the opportunity never presented itself.

Chiron stroked his beard, his eyes more deep-set than I had seen them before.

"You may return to your cabin," he said.

I nodded and walked out. So much for talking to Chiron.

Crickets were chirping in the distance and the sun had set, leaving a dark purple sky, rueful as grey clouds blocked the moon.

Return to my cabin. Yeah, sure. The feeling of disquietude intensified within my stomach.

Ms. Frit tried to kill me, my lousy father never dropped by, my mother never explained this stuff to me and now I'm stuck in a summer camp where the counselors are jerks.

I knew I was whining like a child, but I couldn't help it--I didn't have a say in anything that happened.

Stupid prophecy, I just want to go home.

My heart thumped. Where is home anymore?

I groaned and picked up my stuff from the infirmary. My bedsheets had been folded and tucked away neatly.

Sorry, Helen. You've been kind but I don't belong here.

I felt a twinge of guilt as I walked out. Helen is probably outside somewhere, oblivious to what I was about to do. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked towards the outskirts of the camp.

I hid each time I heard voices, breathing silently behind cover. I felt like the trees were watching me but nothing happened.

I continued until the thick pine tree was in view. A sigh escaped me as I remembered the day my Geometry teacher tried to kill me.

It felt like ages ago.

"Leaving so soon?" a familiar voice asked.


	4. I Get Claimed

I didn't turn around.

"I don't belong here, Jim," I said stiffly.

He walked towards me and then around to face me.

At this point, I wasn't at the least surprised that my best friend was half goat. Nor was I shocked that he wasn't wearing any pants.

He set his eyes firmly on mine and said, "Sure you do. It's why we brought you here. Besides, you haven't even met the guys here."

"Oh, I've seen enough," I said bitterly.

He arched a brow. "What happened?"

I told him about what Lucas did but I left out the part about the prophecy.

"Oh, him," Jim chuckled. "I'll take care of it."

When he saw that I wasn't convinced, his expression grew stern.

"There are children here who were orphans their entire lives. Kids who never met their mortal parents. Those who did, many don't have pleasant stories to share. They were outcasts in their own families. Camp-Half Blood is the one place they find acceptance," Jim explained.

An owl hooted in the distance. I felt a little self-centered. At least I had a caring mother...

"You won't find a place like this out there," Jim said, jerking his thumb towards the road ahead. "This isn't just a safe haven, it's home."

I curled my lip. "You got me, Jim. Let's go."

He tousled my hair and we walked back, recounting stories of High school shenanigans.

He led me to a clearing with two long logs, covered with campers, joking and chatting.

There was a massive bonfire in the center of the crowd. The flames licked the air feverishly.

The crowd immediately went silent. I turned and saw why: Chiron had raised an arm. I also discovered he was a centuar.

"Good evening all," he said, turning towards me. "We have a new camper joining us." He gestured for me to introduce myself.

I felt a hundred pairs of eyes staring at me.

I cleared my throat. "Hi everyone. Uh, I'm Jeremiah. And um, I'm from Brooklyn."

There was muted conversation and stifled laughter. Chiron stomped his hooves and hushed the crowd. Then he beamed as he said, "Welcome to Camp-Half Blood."

The crowd cheered and whooped and fist pumped. I hoped the glow of the fire covered my blush.

Once that was over with, I took a seat next to Helen. We feasted on smores and told ghost stories.

This one guy named Eric told a story about the Cabin for a godess named Nike and everyone was shaking in their boots. I noticed Helen moved closer towards me by the end of it.

Then, it was time to go. "Alright everyone, straight to bed. Ares campers, I don't want a repeat of the Celestial Bronze-bathroom incident," Chiron said, scowling.

I didn't even want to think about what might have happened.

I fell asleep on the floor of the Hermes cabin, since they didn't have a bed for me.

When I woke up, I realized my toothbrush was missing. It was then when I learned Hermes was also the God of thieves.

I yawned and spruced up using my spare brush. The campers in my cabin were still snoring, with the exception of one girl on her phone in a bunk bed.

I stepped outside and wandered aimlessly. The birds were chirping and tweeting but some shouts over on the grass caught my attention.

I walked over and spotted some guys huddled over someone. There were a bunch of other campers standing to the side. Lucas stood with a football tucked between his arm and his ribs.

"Take him to the infirmary," one guy said.

"Alright but we don't have any substitutes," another guy complained.

They both looked around and one of them set his sights on me. He walked up to me, placing his arm on my shoulder.

"You know how to play football, right?" he asked.

"Um, yeah but--"

He held my shoulders and said, "We're down nine points. We need this stop, we only got seven minutes left."

I hardly ever played football. I would probably hinder these guys more than I could help.

He stole a glance at Lucas. "It's their possesion. You're gonna be our wide reciever. Ok?"

He didn't wait for a response. He clapped his hands and shouted, "Alright boys, let's get this show on the road. Big boy Ares thinks he can win another one."

Lucas grinned sadistically at the mention of his previous victory.

If it's against Lucas, I can play.

The guys lined up, and I took my position in front of their wide reciever.

"Readdyy. Hike!"

The ball was passed to the quarterback. Of course Lucas was the QB.

I kept an eye on the wide reciver as he ran down the field. The boy juked, running to the left and the right, and I struggled to follow him.

Keep an eye on the play, I thought. Luckily, the boy slowed down.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Lucas: he stood scanning the field, with none of our players close enough to tackle him.

The wide reciever lunged towards the left side and broke into a run again. I raced after him but I realized too late that I had fallen for his trap. He didn't intend on running to the left, he faked it, and his deception bought him room.

He was only fifteen yards away from a touchdown. No, no, no, I thought, as I saw a flying brown shape.

Lucas had thrown the ball to his wide reciever.

I sprinted to close the gap between the boy and myself.

Then, everything happened in slow motion.

The ball came flying down.

The wide reciever raised his outstretched arms.

I stepped and propelled myself with my foot.

I jumped and the ball was in my grasp.

There was a split second of confusion. Even I didn't realize what had happened.

Then it hit me. Interception. Now I run.

I broke into a sprint in the opposite direction. The boys started shouting and rambling.

"Get him!"

A boy ran towards me and leaped. I spun out of the way and continued running as the boy probably face-planted.

"Mike!"

Two guys were coming. One from the left and one from the right. My teammate tried to tackle one of them but the guy got away.

I snapped my eyes towards the right and the left. Too much commotion on the left.

Not enough room on the right.

If I run fast enough, I think I can squeeze through before these guys tackle me.

I picked up the pace and felt a strange calm. Somehow, I ran faster than I did before.

The two guys approached.

"Go, go, get through!"

Both guys closed in, arms ready to tackle me.

I raised the ball over my head, turned sideways and slid through the narrow gap.

Fingers grazed my ribs and some held my shirt but I was too swift.

There was conflict ahead of me but my teamates cheered me on. The two teams tackled each other, my teammates carving a path for me to run through.

Someone cursed as I stepped twenty yards away from the touchdown line.

Another guy came from the crowd. I didn't see him earlier. He dove for my legs, grabbed my shoe and tugged.

My shoe slipped off but I kept running.

The guy threw my shoe on the ground and rushed to his feet as I ran.

Ten yards.

Someone was behind me. I could hear their panting. I turned briefly to see someone dive for my legs.

He clutched my calves briefly but I jumped in time to avoid getting ensnared.

This time, the boys only stared. Everyone stopped running.

I slowed down and stepped over the touchdown line.

I panted, though I wasn't really out of breath.

Why was everyone looking at me like that? Even my teammates had shocked expressions. Some of them were nudging each other and pointing.

I looked around but I didn't see anything.

Finally, a teammate came over and pointed above my head.

There was a glowing symbol of a shoe with feathery wings floating above my head.

I felt a chill run down my spine. It made sense. I had felt that same calm as I ran to slay the Manticore.

The boys started cheering and whooping, some spinning their towels, others laughing with glee.

"Son of Hermes!" they chanted.

They picked me up and perched me on their shoulders. "Jer-em-i-ah! Son of Hermes!"

We were so excited we forgot we were in the middle of a game.

Lucas had to remind us we still had three minutes.

While the boys lined up, he approached me with a sour expression. "You're not special. You got claimed, big deal. But you are still just pathetic. You and your cabin--you guys aren't worth anything to anyone. We all know you won't become anything."

He snorted. "If monsters couldn't sniff you out all your life, you're no threat to anyone."

I furrowed my brows. What's his deal? Why is he always trying to put me down? I felt the urge to say something and another desire to punch him in the face.

Before I could do anything, the game resumed.

We lost.

Though we were at the end of the field, we still missed the field goal. Lucas's team was unable to score as well. However, since we missed the field goal, we were still down by three points. Time expired before we got another possesion.

Lucas smirked at me as his team celebrated.

The boy who had chosen me as the wide reciever came over and rubbed my head. "We did good. We did good. Let Big Boy Ares enjoy his victory, for now."

I laughed. "You hate his guts too?"

He flashed me a smile and I saw he was missing a tooth. "Navar, nice to meet ya," he said, extending his hand.

I shook and our team headed out.

News got around quickly but before I could do anything else, things got serious.

I was wandering and I stumbled upon a squirrel I think was chasing something. While I was trying to figure out what it was, someone called my name.

I looked over my shoulder and spotted Helen. "Chiron wants to see you." She looked serious.

We headed over and I noticed two campers were already seated. Lucas and Jessie.

Chiron crossed his arms. "Lucas, you know why I've called for you. Jeremiah, Helen, Jessie, you three are going on a quest along with Jim and Lucas."

Jim stepped into the room, as if on cue.

"We have had two quests within the last three months and all six of those campers have disappeared without a trace. This is unheard of, for all of the years I have served here. Your job is to retrieve our campers before the summer solstice. We must obey the oracle for we dont know what will happen if we delay the quest," Chiron said.

He turned towards me and I met his eyes of perpetual concern. "I'm sorry we didn't have more time. We will only have today and three more days to train you. Then, we'll have eight for the quest."

Today must be June 10th, then. I had lost track of time after the Manticore incident.

Chiron went on. "Jim is the guardian satire and he holds an impressive record when it comes to protecting demigods. Helen is our most proficient archer. Though she is a daughter of Iris, she outclasses even the members of Apollo's cabin with her bow and arrow. Lucas has mastery of steel weapons--the only sword fighter better than him is Jim."

Lucas maintained a smug expression but Helen looked distant.

Chiron turned to me. "You have been chosen because the oracle gave you the prophecy. I don't know how your tour ended up in the attic of the Big House," he said, glaring at Lucas, "but that is the way things stand. Jessie has earned this quest, as she lost her younger brothers in the previous one."

A heavy silence fell upon the room at the mention of the lost campers.

Mr D entered the room sipping a diet Coke and he belched without warning.

"Excuse me. Er, don't get killed kids." He left the room.

Chiron sighed.

He surveyed us and said, "Don't be distraught. The oracle is often ambiguous and indirect. She may state something and mean it metaphoriacally rather than literally. I expect you all to prepare and to be cautious."

Alright, as long as Jim is coming. Maybe now I can get even with Lucas. I might also get a chance to talk to my mother. She has some explaining to do.

Chiron dismissed us and I was called for immediate sword fighting lessons with Jim.

We stood, in an arena, face to face.

"Lets begin," Jim said.


	5. A Satyr Teaches me Sword Fighting

Jim produced a familiar looking sword, and handed it to me.

I held it and admired the glow, tracing the riveted design on the handle.

I straightened and looked at Jim.

"That was my first sword. It's much too light for me now but it seems to suit you perfectly," he said smiling.

I swung the sword slowly. It was a little too heavy but I figure I'll get used to it.

Jim's face turned to stone. "Now, think of the sword as an addition to your own arm. I really want to stress this because the reach of the sword is very important. In battle, even an inch can mean the difference between life and death."

I swallowed as reality washed over me. I can actually die. I had previously ignored that fact and now, I struggled to digest it.

He made me practice swinging the sword, correcting my stance and my form as I went along.

"Hold it here, so you can defend your face and neck, while still having mobility," Jim explained, guiding my arm as he spoke.

Jim unrolled a long paper, and on it was a diagram of what looked like the human body, labeled and color coded.

He set the paper on the ground and went over pressure points and vital areas.

"You're going to want to strike in these areas," Jim explained pointing to the areas in red.

He made me do an exercise in which I carved an X into a stone with the very tip of the sword.

"Good, good. Bend your knees a little more," Jim chided.

I did as I was told. If Jim was right, there were things far more dangerous than just a Manticore out there. I have to be able to protect myself and my friends.

Friends. I had already made friends.

"You're slouching!"

I jumped.

Jim softened and said, "Ok, take a break in five minutes. Give me fifty repititions."

I puffed and wiped sweat from my brow. It was noon already. Break time.

Helen dropped by and raised a paper bag in the air. I grinned and we headed towards a picnic table.

"How is your training going, son of Hermes?" she asked, smirking.

"You found out? Well uh, he's been teaching me the basics, form and swinging and stuff. Pressure points, vital organs and places to strike. No combat yet," I explained.

Helen nodded and brought her sandwich to her mouth.

"Jim is a great teacher. Though we don't have much time, he'll get you ready," Helen said, fixing her gaze ahead of her.

"Are you nervous, at all? I mean, about the quest?" I asked.

She took a deep breath. "Of course. But this is what we have to do."

There was something woeful about her tone. It pained me. Something that made me want to look her in the eyes and hug her.

I swallowed, eager to change the subject. "Say, Helen, do you have any siblings here?"

Helen's face darkened. After a pause, she said, "I used to. A younger sister."

Way to go, Jeremiah. Real smooth.

"She--" Helen swallowed. "She's gone now."

I didn't dare ask for details.

Change the subject, change the subject, I thought, looking for an excuse to do so.

I didn't have to.

"Jessie took you on a tour, right? How did that go?" Helen asked.

I exhaled. "It was ok. She's not much for conversation," I said, laughing. "She's more interested in her nails than in talking to a real human being."

Helen giggled. I watched her and smiled.

"Too bad her boyfriend is a total jerk," I added.

Helen wrapped up her food. "Lucas. Lucas is unkind. He gets away with a lot because he's a counselor. Chiron is too busy to catch him as well. But let's not waste our words on him."

We went on, talking about anything and everything. It turns out Helen is a pretty good cook. She always makes cinnamon rolls and steak for the camp's celebrations. She doesn't have any siblings in her cabin but she gets along with a few other girls. She used to knit clothes for her younger sister but she still knits, just now without a sibling to give her works to.

Helen came off as an artsy introvert. She agreed to show me some of her embroidery later on.

Unfortunately, Jim had to come to end the break. I thanked Helen and waved goodbye.

Jim and I practiced until about an hour or two after sunset.

My form was still poor but Jim had faith that I'd imporve.

When I got to my cabin, I noticed some of my cabin mates were watching me with sidelong expressions I couldn't explain.

Was it longing? Sorrow?

Then it hit me: many of them had never been claimed. I had only been in the camp for a little over a week and my father had claimed me.

What made me any different from them? Why did I recieve recognition and why didn't they?

I had a hard time falling asleep that night.

When I did, I found myself in a dimly lit area. There was light coming from a glassless window somewhere above me.

I saw a disheveled boy with bleary eyes. He was leaning against a wall beside a few sleeping kids, also unkempt and sickly.

His expression lit up when he saw me. "He's not alone," the boy said, turning in the direction of the window.

There was movement beyond the wall along with some voices I couldn't make out.

"Wait, who's not alone? Where are w--"

I woke with a start.

The cabin was still dark, the only sounds were those of breathing campers. What was that all about?

I realized I was out of breath. I took a few sips of water and turned to go back to bed.

The next three days went like this: Jim and I trained and during my breaks, Helen and I would picnic and chat.

By the time the third day came to an end, my shirt was drenched in sweat.

"Come on!" Jim taunted.

I swung and Jim sidestepped.

He faked and I almost fell for it, barely moving my sword up in time to block his real attack.

"Don't get sloppy," Jim warned before he lunged.

I parried and our swords clattered.

I had to retreat a few steps because Jim's attack was stronger.

I ran and stopped short, aiming for his legs.

Jim deflected it easily but I was able to jab his jaw with my elbow.

He wrinkled his nose and shook his head.

"Decetption. Perfect," he said through his nose.

"That's enough for today," he declared.

Helen and I ate our last dinner at Camp-Half Blood. We ate on the grass, watching the sunset. The sky had streams of orange, purple and blue, making it calm and soothing.

"I think it's really impressive that you have so many talents. Not to mention you outclass the Apollo cabin in their own field," I said as I gazed into oblivion.

From the corner of my eye I could see Helen attempt to surpress a smile.

"I'm not as great as you make me sound," she said, bashfully.

I laughed and said, "If you say so."

We headed back and upon entering my cabin, I knew I wouldn't be able to fall asleep.

My heart was beating too fast. I heard every insect chirp and every breeze that rustled tree leaves. Ok, taunt me, mother nature.

I fell asleep from exhaustion and woke to someone shaking me.

"Get up, Jeremiah, we have to go. Everyone else is all set. We're all waiting on you."

My eyes sprung open. Jim stood over me, dressed in human attire.

I rubbed my eyes and slid out of my sleeping bag.

When our group approached the car, many of the campers came by to wave us off.

In the crowd, Navar grinned his gap-tooth smile, along with the rest of our teamates.

Jim pulled up in his Jaguar and our group piled in.

Chiron wished us good luck and we rolled up the windows.

I was going to call shotgun but Lucas beat me to it.

In a few minutes, we were on the highway racing down the road, Fallout Boy blaring.

I sat in the backseat on the left side, Helen sat in the center and Jessie sat on the right.

Lucas and Jim were entrenched in an argument.

"I'm telling you, the understeering on the Mercedes is better," Lucas protested.

"I don't want to hear it," Jim replied.

I looked out my window and behind us.

I noticed a truck with a yacht tied to it and a biker on our left. I rolled up my window.

Jessie was busy texting someone on her phone and Helen sat knitting something in her lap.

I cleared my throat.

Jim and Lucas stopped bickering. Helen looked up but Jessie continued to text.

"I know we're supposed to head west but where exactly are we going?" I asked.

From the rearview mirror, I could see Jim's contorted expression. "The truth is, we don't really know. The oracle said to travel West, so we do that," he explained.

"What, do you have any bright ideas? "Lucas taunted.

I tried to ignore the bitterness growing within me. "Well, the oracle asked us to rescue our friends from 'a land most sublime'." I looked out onto the road. "If Chiron was right about the ambiguity of the Oracle, it could mean we have to find a palace or something as one definition of 'sublime'..."

"Or it could mean a place that is literally sublime," Helen added, finishing my thought.

Jim was silent for a moment. "Sheesh, are you sure you guys aren't from Athena's cabin?"

Helen and I smiled at each other.

We got onto the I-80 West and traveled for a few hours. Eventually, we took an exit to grab some food. We decided to travel a few hundred more miles and stop at a hotel Jessie looked up and spend the night there.

Jessie put on some Taylor Swift and I opened the window again.

The wind disturbed my hair and I was about to close it but something stole my attention.

There was a biker to our left.

I had pulled my head into the car but when I peeked again, there was no one there.

Was that the same biker I saw this morning?

"Helen, I--" I started.

She couldn't possibly respond because she was sound asleep.

Jim was too frustrated with previous traffic to hear anything. Not even Lucas dared to argue now. I'll have to tell him later. Maybe it's not a big deal.

By the time we got close to the hotel, it was already getting dark.

We stopped to get some gas and Jim whistled as he parked the car.

"Bathroom breaks, everyone!" he exclaimed, after filling up the car.

We all got out. I stretched while Helen yawned and approached the women's room.

"I'll stay by the car. I don't have to go," I said, touching my toes.

Jim agreed and pretty soon, I was all alone.

The only sounds were coming from cars on the highway and from the flickering of a nearby lamppost.

I can't wait to sleep on a bed, I thought, as I began to stroll.

"You there!" someone yelled.

I looked over my shoulder and saw a burly old man wearing overalls.

He heaved and said, "Sonny, could you help me lift this tire?"

I took a look at our car and back at the man. Why not?

A part of me protested but I walked up to the man and rolled up my sleeves.

We held the wheel, which was surprisingly heavy and we lifted it into the trunk of his pickup truck, grunting all the way.

When I patted myself down from the dirt of the wheel, I noticed Jim was back, spinning his keys.

He hopped into the car and started it up.

The engine roared to life and without warning, the car rushed onto the highway.

I blinked.

Someone whistled and brushed their hands on their pants.

But...

Jim looked at me and then at the place where the car was.

My eyes widened.

Jim turned to the highway, which had a red Jaguar roaring in the distance.

The guy who entered the car--that wasn't Jim.

 **Chapter 6 is in the works. Leave a review! Let me know what you thought. If you liked it, tell your friends! I hope you enjoyed!**


	6. Our Team Gets Re-modelled

**Aiming for slightly longer chapters. Hope you like it!**

The policeman stroked his moustache and put away his notepad. "We have the license plate down. I'll inform the local police department." Like that will solve anything.

"In the meantime, you can always visit a national park," he offered.

The officer got into his patrol vehicle and vroomed off.

Jim raked his hands through his hair. "I spent years earning for that car. And just like that, it's gone." He shook his head and started pacing the gas station for the tenth time.

Lucas glared at me. "We had everything in the car--everything. Our money, our weapons, and our food. 'I'll stay by the car'," he mimicked. "Nice going."

Helen put a hand on my shoulder.

I sighed. For once, Lucas had a point.

This was all my fault. We lost our possesions on the first day, all thanks to me.

I tried walking up to Jim but he veered into the grocery shop. He rarely ever gets angry, but right now, steam could have been coming out of his ears.

I would have turned back around but I noticed two things of interest: the old man who had asked for help with the tire had disappeared. I never saw him leave. There was also a Harley Davidson stranded in the right side of the gas station. Not just any Harley Davidson. The Harley Davidson that was tailing us the whole time.

I ran back to our group.

Before I could say anything, Jim was back and he said, "I'm going after the car. I've spent too much on it to lose it to some scumbag."

The air left my lungs.

"Jim," Helen said. "We have a quest. We have to rescue the campers."

 _"You_ have a quest. I'm going after the car," he replied dryly.

"Jim, you can't just throw away the quest because we got mugged. This is--"

He cut me off. _"You_ of all people shouldn't be talking. It was your job to stay by the car but you couldn't even do that. Each time you get in my car, something bad happens."

I felt something crash within me.

"I'm going with him," Lucas declared. "My weapons are in that trunk."

Jessie shook her head. "Are you two crazy?! How do you expect to ever see that car ever again? Don't you two care about our friends and family?" She was more disconcerted than I had ever seen her. I always imagined her to be indifferent. Maybe she came off as apathetic because she was separated from the people she cared about.

Lucas sneered and raised the collar of his jacket to serve as a windbreaker. "Toodles."

"And you," she snapped, "I am sick of your ego. Everything is about you. _My_ footbal game, _my_ weapons, _my_ ego. I have had it with you! We're finished!"

Lucas appeared slightly distraught for a moment but then his eyes turned to ice. "I didn't need you anyway."

That's how two of our teammates walked away from us.

Jessie sobbed as she brought her knees to her chest. Helen sat and soothed her, wiping her cheeks and caressing her hair, offering reassurance.

I stood stiffly. This was all my fault. I should have noticed that biker was following us. I should have stayed by the car. This never would have happened. Now, there were only three of us.

I thought about the Oracle's words: betrayed at the sound of the ring. Was this what she was talking about? But what ring? My thoughts drifted.

'Pathetic,' Lucas had said. 'No threat to anyone.' Except Jim's Jaguar, I thought bitterly.

What a lousy guy, leaving us for a stupid car.

Focus, a voice said in my head.

I sighed and approached Helen and Jessie.

Jessie was calm now, breathing heavily, but calm.

We figured out what we had left. Jessie had a spare dagger, Helen had a few spring rolls wrapped in her pocket and I had my money as well as our Ambrosia. We didn't have nearly enough money for all of us to stay at a hotel but we did have enough for a train ride to the west. It wouldn't cover a ride all the way but it was something.

We ended up spending the first night in a park, taking shifts to watch for monsters.

Jessie knocked out within minutes. Helen offered to take the first shift but I explained we had to talk. I went over my dream about the boy and then I discussed the biker that was tailing us.

Her expression was grave. "Dreams are important to demigods. They often reveal future events and allow us to gain insight on things that would normally be out of our reach."

"Those kids, they must have been campers, right?" I determined.

She nodded.

"He's not alone," I repeated aloud. "Who could it have been?"

"I don't know," Helen admitted, "but it would just waste our time and energy trying to figure that out now."

A breeze picked up and Helen shivered. She had left her coat in the car.

I offered my jacket.

She accepted it with a warm smile.

"That biker," I began, "I should have known."

"Don't even start," Helen warned. "Nobody could have known. Don't beat yourself up over it. Let it go."

I looked at her in awe.

"I'm sorry about your stuff," I said, rubbing my head.

She sighed. "Those knitting needles were a gift from my grandmother."

That made me feel worse.

"But hey, at least we have each other," Helen added, managing a smile.

My heart warmed. It reminded me of Camp Half-Blood. The children running with their bow and arrows, kids laughing at the amphitheater, the swords clattering, the boys playing football, the aroma of roasted food and sweet pasteries. I missed the place though I had barely grown to know it.

"I think it's amazing that some of the demigods end up marrying each other," I said.

Helen nodded and clasped her hands in front of her. "I think it's really sweet."

A cloud covered the pale moon and everything darkened.

"You should get to bed now," Helen said. "We'll have to get going early."

I nodded. "You better show me some more of your embroidery once we get back."

We will succeed. We have to. I turned over and fell asleep.

I woke up to a gentle push on my shoulder. "Wake up, Jeremiah, it's your turn."

The sky had begun to light up. Helen must have taken a longer shift intentionally.

"When do we leave?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"We'll try seven or eight," she replied.

I nodded and told her to get to bed. She still had my jacket on as she slept, her head resting on her palm.

While gazing into the distance, I got a strange feeling that there were eyes watching me from afar. The hairs on the back of my neck stood erect and I felt a chill run down my spine.

The more I waited, the heavier my eyelids became. Yet, nothing happened. I could hear nothing but my own rhythmic breathing.

I was more disoriented than I anticipated. I knew it was because I hardly slept the night before.

Suddenly, a snarl came from the bushes. My eyes shot open. I stood up and grabbed a stick from nearby.

I jumped as something scurried out. Just a field mouse.

Then, a strange flapping sound came from another direction. A bird?

My senses weren't at their best. I could just be over-analyzing the situation. But then again, I could be wrong. I swallowed as I thought about our weapons, or lack thereof.

I stood up and approached Jessie's purse. I unzipped it and removed the dagger as she lay sound asleep, without the slightest notion of what was going on around her.

Before I could turn, something swooped above me. Sharp claws dug into my skin and before I knew it, my legs weren't on the ground. They were rising higher in the air and my sides began to bleed. I thrashed in desperation, dagger flailing, and came loose. I heard a loud ripping sound before I collapsed onto the ground. There goes my Naruto shirt.

I turned and spotted a shape with wings, turning in the air.

"Helen! Jessie! Wake up!" I yelled in desperation.

I heard another flap and I spun my head to see claws.

Somehow, I ducked, but not without sustaining a scratch on my forehead.

The first winged creature was back and out of the shadows: it had the face of a woman and the long feathery wings of a vulture on its human-like arms. A harpy. I remembered something l learned in school.

Helen was up, behind them and Jessie was sitting as if she didn't recognize where she was.

Harpy number one and two both flew towards me, claws outstretched.

I dove for the ground and felt a rush of air above me. I looked up and saw them turn around. Something flew and whacked Harpy number one in the face, resulting in an ear-piercing shriek.

"Let's get out of here!" Helen yelled, motioning hastily towards the woods.

Harpy number two swooped down towards Jessie, only to be smashed by her purse.

I ran behind them but Harpy number one must have figured out where we were going and muttered something to Harpy number two before coming after me.

Helen was in the safety of a thick forest and Jessie trailed behind her.

My side ached from where the talons had sunk in and I couldn't run as fast as they were.

Helen turned and skid on her feet for a moment, picked up a rock and chucked it above my head. I heard a thwack and another cry.

"Jeremiah, it's coming!"

I spun my head and my arm to slice a Harpy's wings.

The Harpy doubled back and returned, furious.

I stumbled and almost tripped as I approached the first tree. I lost my footing and tumbling into the woods.

A clawing sound and an angry roar came from behind me.

With my face buried in dirt, I could still hear the frustrated flapping of wings and the cries of the Harpies.

Helen fell into a slump and Jessie plucked feathers from her purse.

I groaned and Helen shot up. "Jeremiah!"

Pretty soon, she was kneeling beside me, feeding me ambrosia. By the time she was done, the Harpies had given up yelling at us.

Helen looked at me with weary eyes. I returned her gaze.

"You look beat," I said, with a chuckle.

"Speak for yourself," Helen smirked, her expression quickly fading at a newfound realization. She must have been thinking about our sleep schedule or about our schedule in general.

I felt an odd lightheadedness and couldn't stand up. She had hardly slept at all. We were both beat.

"We should just rest here. You guys are falling apart." Jessie spoke what was on our minds.

Helen and I looked at each other. There were seven days left. Time was precious. But so was our health.

"Thanks Jessie," Helen said as she found a bare place to rest.

I fell asleep on the grass I had tumbled onto.

The bright rays of the sun forced my eyes open. Helen was still sleeping and Jessie was picking her nails, carefully removing non-existent dust.

The sky was cloudless and peaceful, the sunlight hindered only by the foliage. A crow cawed in the distance.

Jessie handed me a spring roll. My stomach whined immediately. We both knew a small breakfast like this was no demigod's meal. I was trying to put on bulk, not lose it.

Then, I remembered it was all we had. I devoured the spring roll, quickly yearning for more. A part of me was tempted to take Helen's as well.

I looked at her, sleeping peacefully, a lock of hair over her serene face and a pang of guilt jabbed me. How could I be so selfish?

I shook my head and stood up, seeing Jessie in the mercy of the sun. Her hair was wild and wavy and her eyes were bright. Man, she was a real looker.

"Jessie, who are your parents?" I asked.

Jessie looked up. "My mother is Aphrodite and my father is a film director. Why?"

"Just curious," I said.

No wonder she was so hard to pry my eyes away from.

I thought about her reasons for wanting to join the quest. She was here for her family.

"We'll rescue your brother," I promised.

"Brothers," she corrected. "I have two of them. Both younger."

I struggled to find words to say. My mind just wanted to tell her she was attractive. I couldn't think of anything substantial to ask her.

"You're worth too much to spend your time with someone who can't see that," I said, thinking about Lucas.

She looked at me with curious eyes. "What makes you say that?"

She had me beat. Why did I say that? Was it just because she was pretty?

I swallowed. "Well, you are a, uh, compassionate girl and you deserve the same amount of love you give."

Jessie laughed. "You're so cheesy."

And without warning, her lips pressed against my cheek. My heart raced and I looked at her, astonished.

Jessie was even more beautiful close up: her blonde hair fell to the side and her full lips curled into a smile. She was inches away from my face.

"You have beautiful eyes," I whispered, without thinking.

Jessie pursed her lips, trying to surpress a smile. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Come on," she whispered, with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

I stood up and followed her into the woods.

We crossed a lake, iridescent and vivacious, with fish swimming merrily with the current.

I reached the other side and Jessie struggled to keep her balance. I retraced my steps and grabbed her hand, leading her with me.

We stopped at a clearing and sat on a rock. She started talking about this rapper and his girlfriend and concerts she went to but I wasn't really paying attention.

She would express herself through her body language and I would watch, nodding and agreeing to what she was saying.

Man, I thought, Lucas is missing out.

Her perfume used to smell obnoxious and strong but I didn't mind being this close if I could watch her.

Jessie seemed pleased and she began discussing her life before camp Half-Blood. I listened to most of it and then continued to watch her vibrant eyes.

Something was nagging my head but I kept pushing the thought away.

Something fell to the ground behind us.

I turned and spotted a branch that had fallen, crushing a few stray leaves.

For a moment, I couldn't understand where I was or what I was doing. Why was I sitting so close to Jessie? Her perfume is so strong.

Then it came to me. Our quest. Helen.

I stood up and Jessie was saying something and stopped mid-sentence. "What's wrong?"

"We have to get going. We can't waste time," I declared.

She looked a bit hurt at my comment but she stood up and walked back with me.

Helen was perched on a tree and she jumped down once we approached her.

She looked grieved. "Where were you guys?! I've been searching everywhere."

I bit my lip at my realization: I had been flirting with Jessie. Before I could apologize, Jessie chimed in: "We went searching for food." I almost gasped aloud at her lie.

Helen's face scrunched up. "You weren't able to find anything?"

Jessie shook her head, with no indication of guilt. How could she just lie? We were a team. How could we work together if we couldn't trust one another?

And what was I doing out there with Jessie? What got into me?

"We should get going," I said, resolved on redeeming myself. "There's an Amtrak station we can head towards but I think at this distance, we'll need a cab."

The forest wasn't as bright as it was earlier, meaning I had wasted more time with Jessie than I had thought.

Helen nodded and returned my jacket. I felt a strange feeling as I accepted it. I realized I wanted her to keep it.

We snuck out of the woods, armed with a dagger, rocks and sticks but no monsters attacked. We slipped through the park and towards population.

Once we paid the cab driver, I swallowed as I realized we wouldn't have enough money to travel very far.

I sighed and looked over at Helen, who looked as distressed as I felt, and at Jessie, who proceeded to text someone on her phone.

It was a long ride and the sun was beginning to set by the time we arrived at the station.

The cab vroomed off, leaving us in a crowd of bustling straphangers. The man at the booth laughed at me when I told him where we were trying to go.

"Those tickets won't get you past Chicago," he asserted.

"Can you please make an exception?" Helen pleaded. "We have urgent business. Could--"

The man crossed his hairy arms and shook his head.

I swallowed. These tickets are more expensive than I anticipated.

Jessie stepped forward and I almost discouraged her from trying. We couldn't do anything. "Sir, I'm sure you're a very kind man. It would mean a lot to us if you could give us better tickets."

I immediately reached into my pockets to produce tickets I didn't have.

The man blinked twice and said, "Just a moment." He turned around and fished for something behind him.

"Wait what just happened?" I felt like I missed a conversation.

"Charmspeak," Helen stated. Jessie smirked as Helen explained the power of Aphropdite's progeny to manipulate others with their words.

I marveled. Jessie had actually contributed to the group for once.

The man returned, shuffling the tickets and double checking them. "These will take you to the Iowa-Nebraska border."

Jessie held the tickets and flipped her hair. I didn't meet her eyes. If she had the power to manipulate others with her words, she could probably do the same to me with her appearance.

Pretty soon, we were on the train, wolfing down our meal. We ate ravenously and I couldn't help but wonder how Lucas and Jim were faring. I realized I didn't know Jim as well as I thought I did. In fact, I had learned more about Helen in the past week than I had about Jim throughout all of highschool.

Jessie didn't seem bothered about their absence and Helen never mentioned them so I couldn't really tell how she felt. Jessie stood up to use the restroom and walked down the aisle, earning stares from each boy that saw her.

The city whizzed past us and I saw Helen's face reflecting off of the glass window I was peering through. It looked like she was watching me.

I turned and she immediately looked away.

"Helen, is there something you wanted to say?" I ventured.

She looked around at Jessie's empty seat and was silent for a moment, then said, "Is there--anything between you and Jessie?"

I felt my heart sink for a moment.

"It's just...you guys were gone for a while and you said you were--it's not my business or anything. I--"

I raised a hand to gesture for her to stop. I looked up at her, remembering Jessie's lie.

Helen's rosy cheeks reddened and she looked away. I felt an inexplicable feeling in my heart. I think it was guilt at first and something else afterwards. I remembered how she had nurtured me back to health, how she and I had shared our picnics, and how she went on about her younger sister. Her reassurance, her bashful smile and her reserved nature. She never seemed to complain or whine. Helen had no reason to even be on this quest. Yet, she seemed to have the most resolve when it came to succeeding.

Wait, did I...like this girl? I looked at her again and I felt that same warming feeling.

"Helen, I'm sorry about this morning," I said, scratching my head. "We weren't really hunting."

Helen's smile faded. "Oh." She paused for a moment. "I understand."

My eyes widened as I realized what I had said. "No! No, it's not like that. There's nothing between us at all. I promise."

Her face lit up and then, as if realizing what happened, she composed herself.

"I was just curious. Sorry if that was personal." Helen pretended she was interested in her dinner, her eyes flitting in my direction and darting back every once in a while.

Jessie had returned, nose still her phone.

Helen asked me what life was like in the outside world and I remembered she had spent most of her life at Camp Half-Blood. The topic changed and we discussed anything that came to mind. She was particularly interested in school, I couldn't imagine why. We were deep into our conversation when a snore startled us.

We looked up to find Jessie out cold. Helen giggled, probably at the way Jessie's mouth hung open as she slept.

Helen became serious as she looked out the window. "We should get to sleep too."

I nodded, realizing how late it was. The moon was out and most of the passengers had already fallen asleep.

How are we going to get to the west? We were broke and weaponless. What if a monster attacks again? Too many thoughts flooded my mind.

My eyelids became heavy and I fell into a slumber.


	7. We Have a Giant Problem

"And that's what happened," Jessie says, as she finishes recounting her nightmare. Apparently, this wasn't the first time she had this dream either.

We sat on a bench by the station we got off of. Jessie explained she dreamt of her friend who wouldn't wake up. No matter how many times she shook him, he wouldn't budge.

"Are you sure you saw him in a field?" Helen asked, casting a glance at the grass that covered much of Iowa.

Jessie nodded and surprisingly, none of her makeup came off. She had at least three layers on.

"Then we might just encounter him here," I say.

"But what I don't understand is," Helen began, "why or how Anton was separated from the rest of the group. It just doesn't make sense. The prophecy said we had to rescue our kin from a land most sublime. Wouldn't they be together?"

I curled my lip. I didn't consider that. Did that mean we didn't have to rescue this Anton guy?

My thoughts are interrupted as Jessie blurts out, "We have to rescue him. Or try."

Helen still looked conflicted. Jessie looked to me for support. Before I could avert my gaze, she asked, "Please, Jeremiah."

"We should try," I say.

"Ok," Helen agrees.

We were wandering through a field when I began to question myself. Why did I agree? What if the dream meant something else?

Something didn't feel right.

For about an hour, we mill around aimlessly, finding nothing but pissed off farmers and manure.

We take a break at Helen's request and I kick some pebble down the path.

I hear a shocked sqeal and start.

A girl comes out of the field but the thing is, she dressed differently from the people here. She wore a white sleeveless tunic, possibly Greek style, and a headband.

She gave me a quizzical look and I apologize. "Sorry about that, I didn't know you were there."

She waves it away in dismissal and sets out to walk back but Jessie drops something and we all turn.

"Arghh. My mirror!" she complains.

Jessie reaches down to pick up her fallen mirror but her open purse allows for the rest of her makeup as well as her dagger to fall down.

Jessie looks up bashfully as she scoops up her cestelial bronze dagger and her makeup.

The girl I almost hit with a pebble says, "There," as she points to a farmhouse in the distance.

I exchange glances with Jessie and Helen.

The girl only repeats, "There," and beckons for us to come.

"What's over there? Do you need something?" Helen asks.

"Need something," the girl repeats.

Something begins nagging my head. Why was I so skeptical? She was just a pasty faced girl. She must have a speech impediment or disorder or something.

Helen swallowed. "Actually, we really have to do something."

I arch a brow. It's not like we have any money to travel with. Maybe if we help her, we can figure out a way out of here from the locals.

I shrug my shoulders. "Let's give her a go."

Helen only fidgets, shifting weight from one leg to another. She looks at Jessie for help and I begin to feel my throat tighten. Why was Helen being so reluctant? Why can't we help this girl? Helen has never been unwilling to help someone in need so why stop now?

Jessie looks at me dreamily and says, "I agree with Jeremiah."

The girl smiles in gratitude and leads us to the back of the barn. Apart from a tractor and grass, there was nothing of interest. The girl pointed to something I had missed earlier: a wheelbarrow that was partially turned, jammed inside a disturbance in the Earth.

Before we could ask the silent girl, she approached the wheelbarrow and tugged with all her might. The thing hardly moved and the girl heaved as she turned back to us.

Our group exchanged glances and I rolled up my sleeves. "Why not?"

Pretty soon, the four of us gather around the wheelbarrow and pull. We grunt and we struggle but to no avail.

We try a few more times but our efforts yield the same result: the wheelbarrow rises only to sink back down again. Almost as if someone were pulling it down.

"This is ruining my nails!" Jessie shrieks.

She wasn't wrong. The rust from the wheelbarrow was getting into my nails as well.

"There must be another approach," Helen says, circling the wheelbarrow.

I kneel and examine the bottom of the wheelbarrow, which sinks into the Earth, beyond view.

Leaves sprout from beneath the surface of the Earth, jutting from a branch. I trace the branch and find it's entrance at another point in the dirt. That's no good. However, I spot a root below it and notice it clings to one of the handles of the wheelbarrow.

"I've got it," I declare.

The group looks at me, expecting an explanation.

"Just a moment. Jessie, could I see your dagger?" I ask.

She hesitantly hands it to me and I begin to work on the obstructive root. It is thick and taut but I finally slice through it.

"Let's try now," I say, wiping my forehead.

The four of us try again and this time, there is less resistance. We overestimate it and the wheelbarrow gets tossed onto the dirt.

We all fall back and I let out a triumphant laugh.

We brush ourselves off and Helen smiles at me. "That was great!"

I smile back, my cheeks growing warm.

Without warning, Jessie wraps her arms around me and pulls me in for a hug.

"I knew we could count on you!" she exclaims.

Before I can recover from initial shock, someone clears their throat.

We turn to see the laconic girl. She beams at us and claps her hands once. Then she beckons for us to follow her.

She leads us further into the weeds and Jessie's complaints grow as the distance does. The sun starts on its arc towards sunset and I wonder where this girl is taking us.

Finally, she slows down, and we make a descent. Then, she stops in front of what looks like a quagmire.

I peek my head over Jessie's shoulders and see that within the hole, there is a boy with a tattered orange shirt. Not just any orange shirt. A Camp Half-Blood shirt.

I didn't recognize the guy but Jessie sqealed with excitement and Helen gasped.

"Anton!" Jessie cried and slid down the sinkhole.

"Jessie! Wait!" Helen yells.

But Jessie had already reached the boy and began shaking him.

I looked to Helen and to the girl who led us here but only Helen remained.

Where did the other girl go?

Helen gestured for me to come follow Jessie and we both slid down.

The boy had dark brown hair which stopped in short waves on his forehead. He had a square jaw and he seemed to have a stocky build. I immediately felt a twinge of jealousy.

"Anton!" Jessie yelled again, and shook the boy, only to receive no response.

Helen checked his pulse and stated the boy was still breathing.

"It doesn't make sense," Helen says.

"I don't understand. Who is this guy? Is he the guy from Jessie's dream?" I ask, mystified.

"He is but that's what doesn't make sense. Anton was part of the quest from three months ago. Why is he all the way in Iowa when we have to search for the group in California?" Helen asks, addressing no one in particular.

"It doesn't matter!" Jessie adds hastily. "Why won't he wake up if he's alive?!"

Nothing seemed to make sense.

"Maybe we should give him some Ambrosia," Helen suggests.

Jessie didn't respond. She slipped her hand into my jacket, removed our zip locked bag of Ambrosia and brought a spoonful to the boy's mouth.

She moved his jaws and Helen raised the boy's head.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, when I had lost hope, the boy coughed and burped and panted, his eyes darting around.

"Karen!" he yelled.

"Anton, calm down," Helen cooed, and Jessie hugged him.

The boy continued to glance around and then when he was calm, he looked at us and asked, "Jessie, Helen, what are you guys doing here?"

"We're on a qu--" Jessie began.

Helen put a hand out to warn Jessie not to continue. "We're here for you. We'll explain. Right now, you just focus on relaxing."

I stood there on a side, not being of any help, feeling like a tulip in a sunflower garden.

The boy's stomach rumbled out loud and I couldn't help but laugh.

Anton shot me a look. "Who's he?"

"He's with us," Jessie piped.

Anton watched me from afar and said, "Man I could go for a cheeseburger."

Helen looked down and began to explain but the boy sat up.

Anton fished for something in his jacket pocket and removed a stack of cash.

We stared as if it were the holy grail.

He caught our stares. "What's the deal? You act like you haven't seen money before."

"We're broke," Jessie explains ruefully.

Anton grinned. "Chiron entrusted me with the group's money. I still have it."

Then as if remembering something, he whipped his head around. "Where is everyone?"

"We thought you would know," I say. "We don't know any more about your group than you do."

The boy scowled and tried to stand up but like an unsteady foal, he buckled and fell back down.

"Don't be so hasty!" Helen warns.

"Dude, just rest and we'll try to figure this out," I add.

He agrees reluctantly and Jessie begins filling him in.

I walk around the quagmire pretending to be interested in the ground when Helen taps me on the shoulder.

I look up and see her worried expression. "How are you holding up?" She asks.

I stare at her blankly.

"I mean, you were sent to the camp and without warning, you were thrust into a quest. You clashed with Jim. You were forced into helping people you barely knew," she clarifies.

Now that I think about it, I have been a little bummed out ever since we got out of the train. Had she been paying attention to me?

I looked at her. "I'm alright. Now that you've asked me." I smile.

She waves it off but beams at me.

"Well, how are you holding up? I mean, you've been sent out on this quest with nothing to earn or gain," I say modelling my question the way she did hers.

She smirks, probably at my mimicry of her question format and then composes herself.

"I've been okay. I don't mind being on a quest, as long as you guys are here with me," she says.

"Glad we're on the same page," I say. "We may not have weapons but Jessie's eyebrows are probably sharp enough to cut through our enemies."

Helen giggles and then before we continue, I stop her.

"Helen, there's something I didn't mention earlier," I say. She only looks at me with eyes of wonder. I look over to see that Jessie still has ways to go in terms of filling Anton in.

I explain what happened to me on my tour and what happened during and after the football game.

Her expression only grew more agitated as I proceeded. "Why didn't you tell me?!" she exclaims.

"We--I didn't know I could trust you then," I explain. "And to tell you the truth--" I rub the back of my head and make sure the others are out of earshot. "I really only joined so I could get even with Lucas. And I mean to help but, I--there were ulterior motives." I leave out the part about confronting my parents.

Helen takes a long look at me and then says, "I joined because of something too--er someone. Well, not as the only reason of course but he played a role in my willingness to accept the offer." She looks down bashfully.

I try to think. Did Jim convince her? Then, I have a horrific thought. "Did you have a crush on Lucas?!"

She almost falls backwards. "Lucas?!" Then she apologizes. "I can assure you, I have no romantic feelings for him. He's too...flamboyant."

Relieved, I laugh. "Thank goodness."

Helen smiles.

Just then, some loud footsteps approach us. Come to think of it, they were there earlier but I was too preoccupied with Helen.

"Trouble," I call out.

The boy tries to stand and Jessie grabs her dagger.

"You stay with Anton, me and Helen will take care of this," I call out.

The boy gives me a quizzical look, has a short conversation with Jessie and then yells, "Catch!"

He lobs something in my direction and to my dismay, it's only a ballpoint pen.

Helen and I climb out of the quagmire to see the tallest man I have ever seen.

He was built like a truck, bulky and muscular, his height was probably about ten feet. He wore a tank top that reached his ankles.

"Oh no," Helen whispers.

And then I realize why. This guy wasn't just a giant. He was a Giant.

The Giant cracks his neck and grins maliciously.

"Hey there, big guy," I laugh nervously. "We don't want any trouble."

He snorts and says, "Well, I do." He then crouches and pulls his tank top up a bit. "Who's first?"

"Uncap the pen," Helen whispers.

Before I could protest, the Giant wags his finger. "No weapons. Not unless you want me to snap you two in half right now. If one of you can beat me in a wrestling match, I'll let you all go."

A wrestling match? What a weird proposal. What if he doesn't let us go even if we win? Well, we can't really bargain at this stage.

I look at Helen and think, I can never forgive myself if I just stood here while she wrestled a ten foot truck like him. "I'll go."

Helen scowls as if she remembers something unpleasant. "Jeremiah, please be careful."

I nod as I step up to get demolished. The Giant was even taller and more gruesome close up. What was I thinking?

Without warning, he reaches for my waist and I slink past him, landing a few punches into his stomach.

The Giant only brings back his arm and cocks his head. He slaps my chest and I fall back onto my butt, my chest burning.

I rush to my feet and jab at his ribs only to be pushed back. He slaps my arm and I fall to the side, my arm redenning where he had hit me. I leap up and kick his calves as hard as I can until he finally buckles, nearly falling over. I take this opportunity to pounce on him.

He anticipates this and merely shoves me to the side as he falls back himself.

I land awkwardly on the ground and roll a few times before I stop myself with my arms. When my head settles down I register footsteps and a voice.

I hop to my feet, but not in time to avoid getting my arm ensnared in an iron grip. The Giant brings my arm behind my back and locks it there. I let out a scream as my arm feels like it's going to tear out of its socket.

Helen yells something but I don't hear it. My mind hurdles into a panic. He's going to break my arm. He's going to break my arm.

I turn and catch a glimpse of him, confident that he has me captured. I resist and don't make any progress. Then, I turn and spit into the Giant's face.

"Gaghh!" he screams, wiping his face.

I fall to my knees clutching my arm. My shoulder blade aches and my arm doesn't seem to move at my command.

The Giant is still wiping his face when Helen yells, "He's a Giant, he must have a weakness!"

"Antaeus has no weakness!" he declares.

Antaeus. He fought Hercules. He lost. Why? How? Thoughts race in my head.

"Jeremiah, get him off the ground and then attack! His strength comes from the e--" Helen is cut off when the Giant's arm strikes her across the face.

To my horror, her head whips to the side and she veers into the ground.

For a moment, I feel nothing, I am devoid of all experience. Then, rage surges through my chest and explodes.

"HELEN!"

Two figures emerge from the quagmire, one clutching the other. Jessie and Anton survey the scene.

"Get her some Ambrosia!" I yell.

The Giant runs toward me and I run toward him, a calm befalling me.

The Giant reaches for me but I step on his arm and jerk my knee into his jaw, sending him staggering back.

My eyes dart to the land behind him. Only a dirt path and miles of field. But to the right, there was a granary. An idea goes off before the Giant whips his arms again.

I duck and break into a sprint, heading for the grains in the storage.

The Giant's feet stomp on the ground as he pursues me, furious. I am ten feet from the granary when I run faster.

I stop quickly and the Giant grins as his outstretched arms close in on me.

I leap out of the way and the Giant tries to slow down but ends up running onto the ramp.

I pull the ballpoint pen out of my pocket, remembering Helen's instructions. I uncap it and the entire pen grows into a full length sword, gleaming orange. I had no qualms about what I planned to do. If he's some kind of a monster, chances are, he'll be revived anyway.

At this point, the Giant has slammed into the mouth of the granary and chunks of wood have sprayed everywhere. I bound up the now rickety ramp and raise up my sword. The Giant shakes his head and turns to me, eyes wide with alarm. He swings for my jaw but I swing my sword quicker, cutting right through his arm. I lunge and bring my sword into his stomach. I remove the blade and the Giant falls forward. He won't be wrestling for a while.

Helen. I race off the ramp, throwing the sword into the dirt.

My chest throbs and my shoulder blade begins screaming again. How was I able to wield the sword? I don't know. No time.

I see the group. Anton and Jessie sit over a body lying motionless between them.

No, I think. Not like this. Not Helen.

Anton frowns and Jessie isn't texting. "Is she going to be all right?" I ask.

My heart sinks as I spot a massive bruise along Helen's face.

"It looks like she may have a minor concussion," Anton says slowly. I breathe out a sigh of relief. I feared the Giant had snapped her neck with the ferocity of his blow.

I kneel by the ground clutching my arm, and accept a cube of Ambrosia from Jessie. Helen's eyes are closed and her head rests on Jessie's lap.

I fold my jacket and place it under Helen's head as Jessie removes her legs from beneath her.

"Wait," the boy says, and he begins looking around. "What happened to the Giant?!"

"I took care of him," I explain.

He gives me a look of disbelief. Jessie claps her hands. "That's my Jeremiah!"

"Did you really defeat him?" he asks.

I nod, surprising myself at what I had done.

"Incredible. That's got to be record time in slaying a Giant. You must be a son of Ares or something," he marvels.

"No, actually, it's Hermes."

He arches a brow. I feel the same guilt I felt before when Lucas confronted me. "You guys aren't worth anything to anyone," he had said about my cabin.

"Well, what about you?" I ask.

"Athena," he answers.

Interesting, I think to myself.

Dusk had fallen and the night creatures had begun to emerge.

Anton looked to us and said, "We'll camp here for the night. I'll take the first shift."

I begin to protest but my body shuts me up.

"Alright," I agree, taking one last look at Helen.

I wasn't able to protect her, I think to myself. What if the Giant had killed her? I had just stood there as he attacked.

I was only able to defeat him because of that sword. The sword!

I shot up and my body ached.

I grunted.

"What's wrong?" Anton asks.

"Your sword. I left it where I fought the Giant," I admit.

He smiles as if he knew something I didn't.

"The sword always returns as a pen in your pocket," he explains.

I check my pocket and sure enough, he was right. "Well, here's your sword."

Before I could hand it to him, he stops me.

"Keep it with you. I won't be able to use it again for a while," he says.

I nod and rest my head on the ground. Darkness overcomes me quickly as I fall into a slumber.

"Jeremiah," a familiar voice calls.


	8. I Receive a Gift

I turn over and I see nothing but a dirt path. A voice from behind me mutters something unintelligible. I turn and see Helen, eyes closed, with a pained expression. I get up and approach her.

Jessie turns and smiles at me. Anton is sound asleep and I have to admit, for a child of Athena, he's built like a child of Ares.

My thoughts are interrupted by the pangs of hunger within me and realize we haven't eaten anything in a long time.

When I examine Helen, I realize she's curled into fetal position but she's still sleeping. I place my hand on her forehead and the warmth leads me to determine she has a fever.

I tell Jessie and then ask if I can grab some food for the group. She hands me a wad of cash and I head to the nearest fast food place and pick up a meal.

Each sound I hear makes me turn wildly and reach for my sword. Each time it's a false alarm. I get the strange feeling that the monsters are holding back. Maybe they have something far worse in store. Maybe they went on vacation.

I get back and wake the group up. The sky is silver and overcast, the sun smoldering behind the clouds.

Helen sits up wearily and I have to help her eat. Her face is sheet white and her bruise sticks out like a sore thumb.

"Thank goodness Anton still has money," I say between bites.

Anton grins. "Athena always has resources for a plan."

He vaguely remembered some Empusa he fought and the memory of Karen getting captured. But when we pressed for details, he admitted things were too fuzzy. We decided to hold off on the questions.

As I feed Helen, she manages a smile. "How the tables have turned."

I chuckle and say, "It's about time."

"We should send Chiron an iris-message," she suggests.

I had completely forgotten about him. He sent us on this quest and he was stricken with grief over the fact that we had to go so soon.

Since Helen was a daughter of Iris, she was able to get the call going even without a drachma. Pretty soon, we were able to see the desk at which Mr. D sat, his face buried in his hand of cards. Chiron comes into view and we call his name. He looks around and turns towards us, surprised we had shown up.

"Jeremiah!" he exclaims.

"Jeremy's still alive?" Mr. D says in the background.

Chiron shoots him a dirty look and asks about our quest. We tell him what happened with our car and our group, mentioning the Giant and Anton's entry in our group.

He strokes his beard, his expression stony. "I would have thought Jim was more sensible. That is conduct uncharacteristic of any guardian satire." He muttered something about Jim changing after purchasing a sports car.

Then he looked up, surprised as if he had forgotten we were still there.

"Use your time wisely, my children. Please be careful," he warns.

Then his face lights up. "Jeremiah! I had forgotten. Your mother wrote some letters. They were initially mailed to the wrong address but we have a few of them. I'll be happy to show you them once you guys get back."

My heart jumps. My mother. Someone else I had forgotten. So she did care. And 'once you guys get back'. Chiron really had faith in us after all.

The image flickers and he wishes us good luck before it fades.

Helen winces and I remember how exhausted she was.

"I think we may have to spend a day or two without traveling. Helen isn't doing so well and my injuries haven't healed either," I say.

Anton becomes pensive and Jessie merely watches him. "If today is the 16th, we have five days left, including today. If I'm not mistaken, taking the train to a station in California would take about 26 hours, give or take a few for layovers etc. So if we left tomorrow, we would still have a few days to spare for unexpected scenarios," he says, matter of factly. "Props to you for determining Point Reyes was the location of interest."

Jessie blinks. "As long as we get there on time."

I spend the rest of that day practicing sword fighting under Anton's guidance. While we did that, Jessie went shopping. I told her to grab me a shirt too because the Harpies had torn my Naruto shirt a while back. Helen wasnt feeling all to well, so she just watched.

"Spread out your feet, it'll give you better traction and mobility," Anton says.

Anton isn't nearly as strict as Jim but he also isn't as proficient with the sword. He would mention subtleties that Jim would have overlooked so that was helpful. The sword was lighter than Jim's and it felt perfectly balanced. Apparently, it's called Riptide and it was a gift from Chiron. Chiron must have really taken a liking to Anton to be able to give away such a cool pen.

When we finished up, I sat down, folding my legs and bringing them to my chest. Anton seemed pleased that he could finally get a chance to work on his mini architecture project; he pulled out a four dimensional kit and began structuralizing ancient Greek theaters and monuments.

Helen was too dizzy to talk much so I kept to myself. I couldn't help but think back to the prophecy. The one line about being crossed at the sound of the ring. Chiron had said the oracle was intentionally ambiguous. Could it be a ringing bell or an actual engagement ring? And crossed? My heart felt like it meant betrayal but it hoped it meant something else. But how else does someone get crossed? A crossover in basketball?! The oracle had said only one of us would get crossed. So who would it be? And who would cross them?

I look over and see Helen slumped against a tree, her head tilted back, leaning against the trunk. Could Helen deceive us? My heart shatters at the thought of it and I immediately feel guilt at my cynicism. Helen had said someone had persuaded her, or influenced her rather, to join the quest. Other than that, she implied there were no strings attached. She had never lied to me. Or had She? Shut up, I think. She has never let me down, unlike a certain materialistic satyr. And Jessie. She had someone to save. Besides, she's too concerned about her nails to stab anyone in the back. And Anton. I watched him as he assembled pillars and placed columns on them. What would he have to gain by betraying us? He doesn't seem to care that we've used his money for clothes and food so he must not be materialistic. My head felt the convoluted theories tie together in knots, causing only grief.

Eventually, I just gave up and took a walk. I walked past Anton's monster warding circle. He had a ring of manure set around the perimeter of our camp to mask our scent. So far, it was working. I stepped out and continued, unsure where I was going but feeling a certain longing within me.

Eventually, I approach a hill and I see a figure looking in my direction. I feel a tug in my chest and everything begins to make sense. The man was adorned in a toga and in sandals with wings attached to them. I know this man, I think.

The wind gives me a reassuring push and I walk up the hill.

"Jeremiah, it has been a long time," the man says, and I want to cry tears of joy and sorrow at the same time. His solid blonde hair and gleaming brown eyes, the latter of which I inherited.

"Father," I croak.

"Come, my son," Hermes says, as he beckons for me to stand beside him.

I stand next to him and I feel his aura emanating. He puts his hand on my shoulder and I want to punch him and hug him at the same time.

"Where have you been all this time?" I ask, my voice tremulous, tears rolling down my cheek.

He looks at me with a twinge of sympathy and says, "I have always been with you."

I stop myself and look up at him again. How could he say that to me? What happened when I was attacked by the Manticore? What about the Giant? Then, slowly, it begins to dawn upon me: he was there.

"That calm I felt--it was you, wasn't it?" I ask, remembering how deft I was in my battles, how I had been able to run with a poisoned leg and slay the Manticore. How I was able to race past Lucas's football team. How I was able to go toe to toe with Anteaus and eventually outmaneuver him.

He smiles softly. "I couldn't be there in person but my gifts were always with you. My time is always limited, my responsibilities only growing. However, speaking of gifts..."

He extends his palm and the air above his hand glimmers and the luster materializes into soles, laces, and feathers. He holds a pair of converse sneakers with wings, flapping gently.

He looks at me with a knowing expression, like the one Anton wore when he knew Riptide would return to my pocket if I lost it. "You may be taunted for your origin but I don't have to define you. I've made mistakes in my life but you aren't bound by my actions nearly as much as you believe. Don't believe for a second that mediocrity is the norm for any child of Hermes."

Why was he telling me this? Was it because of what Lucas had said? Was it Anton's implication that a child of Hermes was nothing special?

I nod, feeling for once that I didn't get the short end of the straw. He places the sneakers into my hands.

"You will suffer my child but you must be strong. Don't allow anyone to learn of your gift yet. Also refrain from telling them about meeting me just yet. Give your mother my greeting, she always worries herself sick. Her gift has already reached her," he says, and smirks.

He then poises to take off.

Suffer how? And why can't I tell them anything yet? But...there was so much I wanted to ask him. So much I wanted to say.

"Wait," I say. "How will I be able to talk to you?"

"When you are tried by your struggles, you'll be able to find me. Or perhaps, a message will come to you," he explains. "I promise."

I look at him, with more reassurance now. He takes one last look at me and takes flight, his shoes guiding him. And when he gets a dozen or so yards away from me, his image fades and disappears.

I look at the shoes and place them in the bag Jessie bought me. I return to my group, feeling more confident than I had in a long time.

When I get back, not much has changed. Helen has dozed off, Anton is still playing his game and Jessie is applying eye liner meticulously, watching herself in her pocket mirror.

I begin sword fighting again, aiming to perfect my lunges and my form. I work all day.

Then we rest. During the night, we have one encounter with a belligerent cyclops, although, after a round of fighting, I'm able to scare him off. I dream about the sickly boy again. He tries to tell me something but his voice is inaudible.

The next day, Helen is still in no shape to get a move on. Nothing eventful happens apart from my training, Anton's game and Jessie's makeup session. Seriously, that girl must have an unlimited supply.

On the day of the 18th, we decide to set off. Helen is showing improvement but she has to use a walking stick to keep steady.

It's strange how much money Anton still has. Even after purchasing the train tickets and food, not to mention Jessie's spending spree the days before, he still has leftover money.

Once we're on the train, I turn to him and say, "You would have thought you were the son of the God of Finance, considering how much money you have," I joke.

He chuckles and returns to his virtual chess game.

The travel is long and boring. Where Helen would normally talk to me, there was only Jessie to flirt and offer small talk. Anton would occasionally explain some wonder of engineering like the Panama canal but I would zone out pretty soon. Man, I really wish Helen would recover. Not because I want someone to talk to--that would be a bonus of course--but because things aren't the same without her. She would have asked me where I went that day and she would have loved to hear about my meeting with my father. She always managed to get everyone involved, not giving herself enough credit. I wonder what battles she concealed in fear of worrying her teammates. I decided to ask her when she recovered.

Speaking of Helen, her bruise had healed quite a bit. That Ambrosia was working magic. She almost looked the way she normally did. However, we were a little low on Ambrosia. Another rough battle and we'll be out of cubes.

We arrive in California on the evening of the 19th. We are all worn out from travel so we decide to rest for the night. The good news is, Helen is back to normal, so she offers to take a night shift to watch for monsters. Selfless Helen. This time we have to choose an alleyway. Jessie was averse to the idea but we realized we didn't have much of a choice. We eat before we rest and the discomfort settles in. Tomorrow is the last day before summer. Tomorrow is when things go down. I have a hard time falling asleep but fatigue finally gets me.

I find myself in a dream. I stand beside Helen on a stone surface. We are both battered pretty badly as if we just fought a monster and then, without warning, the ground crumbles beneath us. We fall in slow motion and I reach out to her as I plummet down. She extends her hand and I grab it. We then float back to ground level and for some reason she starts shaking her head. I can't hear our conversation but from the looks of it, we are having a disagreement. Then, something steals our attention. Before I can turn to see what it is, I wake up.

I see Anton's grey eyes. "It's time for your shift," he says.

I get up, groggy, still feeling the weightlessness in my stomach. I watch for monsters but nothing happens. This really starts to get on my nerves. A decent fight would be more comforting because at least I know what they're up to. Idleness makes me nervous as if I know something is supposed to happen but nothing does.

Then, we set off for Point Reyes. Once we get out of the cab, we start walking. Helen and Jessie walk side by side and I notice the difference between the two. Where Jessie's face was glossy from makeup, Helen's face had a beauty mark near her rosy cheeks, all devoid of any makeup. Helen's hair wasn't in her typical twisted halo. She looked beautiful. Helen did have a new dress on, courtesy of Jessie, but it was a simple, long, light yellow tunic with sleeves. Just like her, it wasn't flambouyant or standoffish.

While we took a break from walking, I approached her. "How are you doing now?"

"Much better," she says, and smiles in gratitude.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to prot--" I start.

She puts her finger towards my lips, gesturing for me to be quiet.

"The past is the past. But. Thank you for always standing beside me. It means more to me than you know," she says.

I look at her, dumbfounded for a moment. "Oh, of course...I--I want nothing more than to be beside you." I know how I feel about her now.

Her eyes light up and she swallows as she makes an expression that is a mix of trying to smile and not to cry at the same time.

"The dress really suits you. It's simple and beautiful--just like you," I say, my hand rubbing the back of my head.

Her cheeks redden. "Jeremiah," she says, as she brushes her hair behind her ear, "remember when I said someone influenced me into joining the quest?"

"Yeah, why," I ask.

"Because Chiron asked me to join a quest and I told him I felt I would be of more use in the infirmary. He explained why he thought otherwise and he mentioned it was your quest. After thinking about that, I decided I would go," she explains.

I stare. She joined the quest because of me? Does she...did she feel the same way I did about her? It made sense.

"Helen. I want you to know that I care deeply about you and you mean a lot to me and..." I swallow. "And that I l--"

I'm cut off when Anton announces we have to leave.

Helen looks to me and I press my lips together. We exchange a look that means 'later.'

Anton sighs. "Karen, and everyone else. Its time."

He had already asked for the tourist attractions and the most sublime thing there was happened to be an estate where a wealthy old man lived. We headed there.

As soon as we got there, I knew it was the place. It was adorned with a massive portico, arches, columns, and a porte-cochère which beheld gleaming silver cars.

"Well, this is definitely sublimity in the land most sublime," I marvel.

"Oh baby," Jessie says.

Most of the group stays back and we follow the plan. Anton approaches the door and Helen aims her slingshot for coverfire. We didn't really have another long range weapon so we settled with that.

An old man wearing a tailcoat emerges and there is some muted conversation. The old man nods and then Anton gives us the signal.

We get out from hiding and approach the door. I feel a chill run down my spine. It seems like each bush has a pair of eyes watching us.

The old man, who I take to be the butler, must have bought Anton's sob story because he was alright with us coming in, disheveled as we were.

The butler, who looked a lot like Alfred, led us down the corridors. The inside was just as impressive as the exterior. There were carpets of brocade, massive chandeliers dangling, panes with paintings of people I didn't recognize and velvet sophas with fluffy cushions.

It was incredible--the sight of which made it difficult to remember the quest.

"Master B," the butler calls.

I almost choke. Master B? Master Bruce Wayne as in Batman?! Imagine that.

My hopes are quickly thrown out the window when a paunchy old man emerges from one of the rooms. There is some giggling from the room he came from and I realize the sounds come from multiple women. "What is it, Ragtin?" the paunchy man says in a thick Egyptian accent.

"Sir, there appear to be a few stray children who would like to spend the night here. I k--" Ragtin is cut off.

"Alright, alright, take them to some room upstairs to Maria," the paunchy man says, waving us off.

"As you wish," Ragtin says, and they exchange a look.

Instead of taking us upstairs, Ragtin takes us downstairs. We head down and I keep my hand on Riptide in my pocket, stepping closer to Helen. Helen takes my cue and keeps her slingshot in reach. I get a bad feeling about where this is heading.

When we get down, a maid approaches us and offers to take us to our rooms. The woman is startlingly attractive. Before I can protest, I realize we aren't the only guests the place is housing.

A roar makes me tremble and turn. Ragtin is now on all fours, the only thing is, he isn't human. He has morphed into a lion, except he has the head of a goat protruding out of him as well. His tail is now a serpent.

"That's not Alfred!" Iyell.


	9. We have an Unlikely Reunion

I uncap Riptide and prepare to face Chimera-Ragtin when Maria also morphs.

Maria now has one bronze leg and one leg of what appears to be a donkey. Her hair is flaming and her nails have become claws.

"You've got to be kidding me. Is anyone here a mortal?" I quip.

"No one but your passe, darling," Maria sneers.

Without warning, Ragtin pounces, his paws slamming into my chest and then pinning down my shoulders, effectively sending Riptide sliding away. Ragtin reaches back and lunges forward towards my neck but something slams into his face. I squirm while he shakes his head and turns towards his attacker, but it's no use.

Helen shouts something I can't quite hear but it immediately steals the lions attention.

I turn my head against the linoleum floor and see something that makes me blink and look again: Helen is poised with her bow and arrow but last time I checked, she lost that days ago. The tip of the bow has been set on fire. Green, Greek fire.

"Don't make me fire," Helen warns in a solid voice. "One shot and you can have your ticket back to Tartarus. I don't miss either."

What is going on? Ragtin snarls but he has loosened his grip on my shoulders. His goat head is still watching me, prodding my ribs every few seconds. And then, slowly, it dawns upon me: child of Iris. She must have created an illusion.

While Helen stares down Ragtin, Jessie and Anton struggle to hold back Maria, shouting and clashing together.

I sense that Riptide is back in my pocket and I slowly slip my hand in, as to avoid the goat head's gaze.

Then, I bring it out, just behind the goat head and struggle to uncap it with one hand. My thumb flicks the cap but it's no good.

"Take your best shot. You wouldn't dare now that the boy is so close," Ragtin taunts, and I feel a tremor in his body as he applies some pressure. But no, it isn't just pressure, there's something else. I double my efforts to uncap Riptide, rubbing the pen and flicking the cap in desperation.

I feel warmth against my body and my fear is confirmed when the mouth of the lion head illuminates and opens. Just then, I uncap Riptide. The goat shrieks and the lion hops off of me just as I swing. A few golden hairs float in the air and sway slowly. Darn. I only got the mane.

Ragtin isn't happy with his new haircut, as observed from the fireball he unleashes.

I leap out of the way and the fireball slams into a wall behind me, sending a shower of flames everywhere.

Helen launches a few rocks at the Chimera but they perish under the fury of the next flame.

I snap my head back and see Maria claw through a portrait, revealing the terror in Anton's eyes. Jessie takes the moment to stab Maria in the back. A shriek pierces the air but something grabs my hand and tugs me before I can see the result of the skirmish.

Helen pulls me away from a fireball I had ignored. Ragtin charges and then leaps. A rock sinks into his windpipe and the serpent tail sinks into Helen's ankle just before I slice it off.

The serpent writhes on the ground, hissing wickedly before going still. Ragtin roars and launches more fireballs in arbitrary directions.

Helen clutches her ankle and I tackle her before she's engulfed in flames. We hit the ground hard, the wind leaving my lungs. Helen moans and clutches her head. I roll over rapidly to get the fire off my thigh until finally, I fall onto my stomach.

"Anton," I wheeze. "We need a venom antidote." He must have one handy. Athena always has a plan, right?

As if I'm cue, a shape darts in front of us. But it isnt Anton. It's Jessie.

Anton kneels beside Helen, and shakes something that looks like a vial in his hand. "You can depend on Athena," he says with a grin.

I stand back up and start circling the Chimera with Jessie. Maria is nothing but powder so it's just us and the Chimera.

Ragtin scowls and scampers away in the opposite direction. What? He morphs back into a human and begins working on a latch. I suddenly notice the large dents on a metal door I had previously ignored. Not to mention the demonic rancor.

"Stop him!" I yell, and take off after him.

Jessie and I run but the latch opens when Riptide is a hair's breadth away from Ragtin.

Before I can connect, the door comes flying off of its hinges, whacking Ragtin out of the way.

What comes out is even more daunting. A boar, no, a buffalo charges out along with a pack of monsters as well as a few flying creatures; a shrill voice screams, "Get out of there!"

I don't need to be told twice. I latch onto Jessie's wrist and book it.

The beast comes stomping behind us, as does it's legion of monsters, flying and running, all with the intention of slaying us. Anton scoops up Helen and they take a turn into a corridor. Jessie and I follow behind, occasionally ducking to avoid being singed by a ball of flames.

We bound across the ground but a figure stops Anton and Helen. Mr. B stands in their way, with an electrical spear in his hands. We slow down.

I whip my head back and spot the sea of monsters behind us. We have no choice.

I race towards Mr. B, Riptide handy, and I clash with his spear. The sound of metal and the sheer force makes my ears ring. He lunges towards my stomach and I parry. I hear the grunts from the monsters and the calls of distress from my friends.

I jab at Mr. B's arm and he smacks the sword right out of my hand. He swings for my head and I duck and then kick him. He staggers back and I hear a cry come out from behind me. The slight distraction was enough for Mr. B to stab me in my stomach. My entire body is jolted and then there's nothing but black.

When my eyes open again, I almost panic. I don't see anything. Then, after a moment, my eyes begin to adjust to the darkness and I see a dim light source coming from above me. My wrists feel sore and my stomach burns. I struggle but there is heavy resistance against my movement. The clinking metal allows me to deduce I've been chained. At least I'm alive.

"Jeremiah!" someone whispers.

I turn in both directions but I can't make much out. "Who's there?" I whisper back.

"Its me, Helen. Are you alright?" she asks.

"Yeah, for the most part. What about you? The antidote worked? What happened and where are we?" I ask.

"I'm better now, thanks to Anton. We've been captured and now we're in some form of dungeo--" she is cut off before she finishes.

"We're in the temple's basement," a familiar voice explains.

"Temple? Wait, who are you?" I ask.

"I'm a camper, just like you. I'm the one from your dream. My name is Jacob," he says.

"So wait--if you're here, then the other campers must also be here, right?" I conclude.

"Correct," he says, and yawns.

"Where are they, exactly?" Helen asks.

"Ahead of us, on the ground," Jacob explains.

"Wait, wait," I interrupt. "What I don't understand is, where are Jessie and Anton and why are you restrained, Jacob? How are you the only one who's awake?"

"Well--I don't know about them. I don't think they're here. We were separated. They might have actually escaped," Helen says.

"They restrained me because they realized I was awake," Jacob propounds, and then yawns. "I'm awake because I'm immune to the potion they gave us. But we don't have time--"

Some commotion behind a wall is enough to hush up Jacob. Once the movement stops, there is silence for a moment.

"Do these monsters have anything to do with your warning: he's not alone?" Helen whispers before I can.

"Yep," Jacob replies in a grim voice. Suddenly there is some clunking of metal and Jacob cries, "Wait, did you say you were with Anton?!"

"Yeah, why?" I say, suddenly worried.

"No, no no. This isn't good. Not him," Jacob mutters.

"Jacob, can you please explain what's going on? There is a lot we don't understand and I get the feeling you can tell us. Maybe then we can work on getting out of here," Helen establishes. Leave it to her to try and put the pieces together.

"Where do I start?" Jacob asks.

"Anywhere. Something is better than--actually...What happened on your quest?" I decide.

Jacob explains how his group set out as the oracle ordered and how they were captured after encountering some monsters. Surprisingly, no one was killed; they were all drugged with some sleep potion, which Jacob was immune to. I guess there is a benefit of being the son of the God of sleep. However, before they were drugged, Anton pleaded and the monsters spared him in exchange for his help. He had thrown his teammates under the bus in exchange for his own life.

"Jeremiah. That girl we helped with the wheelbarrow--that was no ordinary girl. I was trying to explain it to you guys but no one understood. That girl was Echo," Helen says, and pauses to let it sink in.

Emotions turn inside of me as if within a kaleidoscope. She asked for our help and led us to Anton. I want to slap myself even more once I make another realization: Echo set us up. She led us to Anton knowing we would help a fellow camper and we helped, oblivious to Anton's treachery. All because I insisted on disobeying Helen.

"Jeremiah?" Helen calls.

I sigh.

"So now, Anton is with Jessie?" Jacob asks.

"I think so," Helen replies.

"Argh, darn it. Anton was the one who made the travel plan; he was the one who paid for our food and clothes; he was the one who cured the venom from that serpent. He was just a mask of good over deception," I mumble.

"I never thought he would betray the entire camp to save his own skin. I wouldn't have pegged him for a coward," Helen admits. "We have to reach Jessie before he does something to her."

" 'Athena always has a plan,' " I mock Anton. "Some plan he had."

Jacob clears his throat. "There's more. The mosnters don't seem to be trying to kill us. They've been almost _collecting_ us. I don't know why though. I've overheard some conversations but I couldn't get a lot from here. All I know is, they have plans for the morning of the solstice."

I look to the light coming from the window above. "So we have to stop them tonight," I whisper. "What horrible timing."

"Such is the life of a demigod," Helen says softly. Her tone blends sorrow and regret into a mixture that is heart shattering. This isn't the first time either.

Alright that's it. "Helen...You always seem to... imply something with an occasional mystic comment. Why do you sound so sad when you mention quests and demigod business?"

I know I've asked the right question because Helen is silent for a long time. I can make out the cracks in the wall with the help of the dim light and I register the feint buzzing of a fly in the distance as well. Just when I think Jacob has put her to sleep, she replies.

"It's not something I ever talk about. But. Given our current predicament, I'll share now. My sister--" she stops.

"My younger sister. My only sister. She was killed by the hands of the enemies of the Gods. We were on our way to camp--we discovered it was a safe haven. We were alone and," she makes a sound that resembles choking and sobbing.

"My sister dropped her necklace as we were crossing a street. She realized it once we were on the other side. I warned her not to go back--I did. I really did," Helen croaks. "But she got out of my grip and ran back. It was--the--it only took a second. The lightning flashed and my sister was no longer standing. I was too far. I fired an arrow from a bow I had but I might as well have had a blindfolded toddler fire instead. My sister, who was six years old at the time, who wasn't acquainted with life's pendulum, perished without having wronged anyone. Elise, who would wear the clothes I knit for her. Elise who used to be afraid of her own shadow. Elise who dreamed of a life where we wouldn't have to run away."

There is a stifled sob and a pause. "Quests remind me of how she had no say in her final moments."

A heavy silence falls upon us. Thunder rumbles outside.

Maybe that's why Helen is always trying to get me to forget about the past. She wasn't able to in her past and it has haunted her since. The girl who would always giggle and support me on the outside was also the girl who was wounded deeply on the inside. She wanted to make things right after her beloved sister was taken away. There was no way she could be the one to cross us. I almost feel relieved that Anton is the deciever.

"Helen--I. You've...Despite everything, you have been one of the most selfless girls I've ever met. Not spiteful nor inconsiderate. Please, don't let your--what you claim is your shortcoming--ever weigh heavily on your conscience. I--you mean so much to me. I won't let you beat yourself up over anything. I know you must have been a good sister. Emily is counting on you now, too. Look at you now, you've become dear to us all and your archery exceeds that of any child of Apollo. Let it go," I say.

"Thank you," Helen says in a low voice. "For everything, Jeremiah."

"Now, how are we busting out of here?" I ask.

Jacob laughs. "I haven't heard optimism like that in a long time."

"Okay, so I have Riptide in my pocket but my hands are chained. However, my legs aren't. I'm not sure how that helps though," I admit.

"How close are we to one another?" Helen asks.

I stretch out my legs and feel the rocky wall. My arms struggle against the shackles and I hear similar sounds a few feet away.

"Too far to help each other," I say, the bleakness of the situation beginning to bear down on me.

Ok so Helen's powers: creating illusions and iris messages on the spot. Not applicable here. My powers: none. Ok maybe I'm deft when it comes to battle but that's really it. Then, an idea goes off above my head.

"I have a plan. But I'm not certain it will work," I concede.

"It's all we've got," Jacob says.

I kick my shoes together and the wings start flapping. Good thing I'm already wearing them. I will the shoes to fly and lift my legs. My thighs stop leaning against the wall and then my torso moves up with the rest of my lower body. If I could just.

"What's going on?" Helen asks, probably because of the flapping of the wings.

My body bends and my legs are now vertical, facing the sky. I feel Riptide sliding down from my pocket and I move my hands as far as the shackles will let me. I try to fix the angle of my thighs so that Riptide can fall into my outstreched hand.

Riptide falls out of my pocket and I struggle against the shackles to catch it. It slips into my palm and almost falls but my fingers clasp it before it can.

Now I have it. My heart sinks as I realize my new problem. I can't hack these chains if Riptide us still in its pen form. I'm going to have to uncap it with one hand again.

"Can you fill us in?" Jacob asks.

"I have Riptide in my hand but it's a pen right now," I say and laugh.

A ballpoint pen. A prisoners salvation.

I notice it's upside down this time, I turn the pen cap with my pinky and continue to do so. I hope that I can take it off the way one unscrews a bulb. The pen cap falls off and I grip the sword, except it's facing the ground.

I swallow. The angle is a little difficult to work with. I try to hack at the chains but the sword is too close to me and the chains are too short to allow reasonable arm mobility. I scrape the wall a few times, hitting the chains every so often. Not nearly enough to do some damage.

"What's going on? Have you made any progress?" Helen asks, hopefully.

I exhale. "I've uncapped it. But. The thing is, I don't have a good angle. I can't get the chain--"

My sentence is cut short by a rumbling noise behind our wall. I hear some conflict and some thuds, maybe an explosion too. Why did it sound like a Michael Bay movie?

"What's going on?" I whisper.

"Don't ask me, I dunno," Jacob replies.

My question is answered as something metallic crashes to the left of me. The metal screeches against the floor and stops, leaving an empty doorway of blinding light. My eyes struggle for a moment to adjust and my ears pickup familiar voices.

I stare in disbelief as two teammates approach us, grinning like idiots. Jim and Lucas were back, holding bags and weapons.

"What's good, you thought you wouldn't see us again?" Lucas taunts.

Jim laughs and adds, "No punk steals my Jaguar and gets away with it. Little did he know, Satyr city was working to kick his butt."

They release us from our shackles and then Lucas cringes as he comes upon a few motionless bodies on the ground. "Who the heck are--"

I think the Camp Half-Blood t-shirts answered his question.

"Wait, there are only five," Jim says.

"The other one is with Jessie but we're not sure we can trust him," Helen replies.

"Then we have to find her. But how are we supposed to haul these kids out of here?" Jim asks as he scratches his head.

"I'll carry two and you carry two. Jeremiah and Helen will watch our backs," Jim says, and hands Helen her bow and arrows.

As it turns out, Jacob is incompetent with every weapon we hand him. We just run out and have him carry our bags.

Just as we turn into a corridor, a monster comes swooping in, claws outstretched. It flies above us and Helen immediately launches a volley of arrows, each nailing the Griffin in the side. The monster crashes into a wall and crumbles to the ground.

There is some commotion behind a wall and just as we pass it, the bricks fall out and it collapses.

A band of Cyclops rushes out, tossing bricks and debris at us. Helen and I retaliate as the others try to gain ground. I cut cleanly through one and before I can react, something rocks my head forward. Dazed and in agony, I collapse. I bring my hand to my head and a ringing sound ensues in my ear which merges with the sound of some yelling and thumping.

I reach into my pocket, pull out a cube of Ambrosia, and quickly pop it into my mouth. I scramble to my feet and bolt when another wave of monsters emerges.

The fog in my head begins to subside and the throbbing becomes more bearable. Helen shoots monsters left and right, I just run wildly to join the group.

My ears register some arguing. "It's this one!" Lucas insists, pointing to the left.

I realize we've come to a fork in the path. There is one leading to the right and one leading to the right.

Jim yells something and gestures for us to go to the left. We run but Helen and I lag behind; I struggle to sprint and Helen stays behind to watch my back.

A bird screeches from down the hallway and before we can stop, a shaft opens up beneath us. Lucas, Jim and Jacob get ahead while Helen and I struggle to shift away from the gaping hole in the ground. Helen fires a blind arrow behind her as she creeps along the wall.

Without warning, the remaining strips of land also give way and the two of us plummet into the unknown.


	10. We Finally Catch a Break

My stomach feels as if it was still back upstairs. I fall rapidly, my arms flailing wildly. Debris falls with us, some of which bumps into me.

I will the shoes to fly, and they begin flapping in rapid succesion.

I spot a yellow shape below me and I also see the ground, growing larger--a little too quickly for comfort.

My body arches downward and I yell, "HELEN!" until my throat burns.

She looks up and extends her arm and hand. I do the same, diving towards her.

My heart reaches my throat when I see the debris crumble and shatter on the ground.

My hand is inches away from Helen and I remember my dream. I saved her in my dream. I have to do it now, too.

I reach until my arm feels like it's going to leave its socket. She's below me, her eyes colored with terror, her hair whipping wildly. I grab her tightly and will the shoes to fly up.

Helen's weight has an immense pull but the shoes only dip slightly before rising. There is the residual dropping of pebbles and then there is only silence.

We lower onto the ground and I massage my arm and shoulder blades. "They make it look so easy in the movies."

Helen is still silent, recovering from initial shock. "I thought we were finished," she finally whispers.

I'm about to explain my dream when I hear a series of slow claps.

A familiar paunchy old man stands beside a structure with bodies laying on top of it.

"Jeremiah!" Jessie's voice cries.

"Are you guys alright?" shouts Anton.

I realize the two of them are cut and bruised badly, strapped to what looks like a platform with steps.

Mr. B smiles crookedly. "They won't be, very soon." He lets out a whistle and a familiar screech immediately follows.

"Helen, get ready," I warn, and pull out Riptide.

Helen readies her bow and we train our eyes on the shaft in the roof. It was the only way in or out. But then how did the others get down here? No time.

The shaft crumples and widens as giant wings flap rhythmically. A massive Hippogriff descends and stares us down with its piercing eagle eyes.

"Those claws aren't just for show," Mr. B boats in his thick Egyptian accent. "Render them incapacitated!"

The Hippogriff swoops towards us. Helen fires an arrow straight for the underbelly but the Hippogriff merely flaps it wings and sends the arrow awry.

It comes in and tries to scrape me off the ground but I narrowly hop out of the way.

When I think I'm safe, it slams its wings into me and sends me crashing and tumbling into the ground.

Mr B. laughs sadistically and says, "Who does this kid belong to?"

I try to get my bearings together and get on all fours. "My father is Hermes, for your information," I reply gruffly.

He bursts into laughter, so much so that the Hippogriff actually pauses to cock its head.

"You leave him alone. He has twice the heart you'll ever have," shouts Helen.

I get up and charge towards the Hippogriff. It swings with its claws and I leap on top of its arm, running towards its head. It leans in and opens its beak, craning its neck violently.

Before it can make a meal out of me, I sink my sword into its arm and Helen sends an arrow into its wing.

The Hippogriff throws a fit, swinging and screaming, tossing me to the side.

I prop myself up on my elbow. "It doesn't matter who my parents are or where I'm from. I define myself. My actions. Besides, I'll still kick your butt."

The Hippogriff screams as if to say, "I'm still here."

It claws the ground and bounds towards Helen. She fires an arrow into its underbelly and the monster nearly claws off her head.

I run and swing at its arm, missing completely. It swipes with its wing but I stamp my sword into it and hold on as it takes off.

The monster takes flight, flapping its wings clumsily as I dangle helplessly. The ground grows smaller and I realize I accidentally purchased a ticket with the wrong airline.

It tries to slam me into the wall but I run along the rocks, avoiding getting pancaked briefly. Then, I luck out: Riptide comes loose and I fall down.

I let out a scream and then Helen yells, "Your shoes!"

I grin and begin laughing like a maniac as I fly. Helen fires another arrow but the monster snaps it with the sheer force of its wings.

I fly towards the Hippogriff and hack its hind leg, landing a deep cut that sends the thing reeling into a wall.

Helen fires a round of arrows and the monster starts spiraling like a helicopter with a busted tail. It shrieks and flaps it's wings so hard, I lose my balance and start falling.

I try to gain control of the wings but I was so close to the monster, I got the brunt of the blow. My body takes a nosedive and I try to straighten out with little success.

I collapse into someone's arms and we both roll over onto the floor, preventing my becoming a pancake. I look around and see Helen. I grin weakly at her. Then, I turn as the monster cries out in agony.

It dives for us and I help Helen up, and we both struggle to get out of the way. It hits me with a hand and gets Helen too, just as she fires a blind arrow.

I find myself pinned under a mass of feathers. The Hippogriff quivers in pain and I slide my hand into my pocket but Riptide isn't there. I can hear Helen's muffled voice but I can't understand what she's saying. The feathers start weighing heavier, as if they were recently coated in iron.

My bones cry out as they become one with the ground. I slide my fingers into my pocket and pull out Riptide. I shift onto a knee and slide my other hand under my belly to uncap the pen. I do so and stand it upright, removing my knee. The sword sinks into the mass of feathers and there is a series of writhing and galloping as the Hippogriff gets up, stomps a few yards before it collapses.

Helen rubs her ankle and stands up unsteadily. I barely make it to my feet when I register footsteps behind us.

The next series of events happen without much thought. A shape runs with a spear pointed towards Helen and I lash out with my sword, deflecting the tip towards the air.

Sparks fly and electricity buzzes at the tip of the spear. Then I see the attacker, caught red handed.

Mr. B scowls as he rolls the spear in his hands.

"Its over, Mr. B," I declare.

"Jeremiah!" a voice calls.

I look over my shoulders towards the platform. The voice calls again: "That's the king!"

It was Anton's voice. But why was he still helping us? And king?

"That king is our enemy. He's Bu--"

I don't hear the rest of his sentence because Mr. B swings at my neck.

I deflect the blow easily. He's getting desperate. Why doesn't he want me to know his name?

My thoughts are interrupted by a series of rumbling noises and tremors coming from above. Jim and Lucas must be going at it.

I jab at Mr. B's stomach and pull my elbow up to connect with his jaw. He staggers back but swipes with the butt of the spear and then spins it toward my leg. The hairs on my shin standing up from how close the electrical tip was.

I fake towards his neck and he raises his spear, falling for it. I quickly swipe the back of his legs with one of my own and he falls backwards.

I bring Riptide down towards his chest but a shock runs through my body and I drop my sword.

I notice his spear tip has sliced my thigh, just barely but enough to immobilize me.

Mr. B smiles crookedly as he stands up. He removes his spear and I fall to my knees. He raises it triumphantly and I pray my end will be swift. He swings. However, he misses completely.

Mr. B falls forward onto the ground and doesn't get up.

Helen stands behind him, and brings down her bow.

She gives me a relieved smile and then her eyes dart to my wound. "Get the Ambrosia!" she yells.

We nearly finish all the cubes when we hear shouts from the platform.

"A little help here!" Anton shouts. We run and notice the roof start to crumble. The fissures grow from the ends of the walls.

"We have to hurry," I explain, pointing towards the pebbles falling from the ceiling.

I cut the straps off of Jessie but I eye Anton carefully.

"What's going on? Why aren't you cutting me out of here?" he asks, a little too innocently for my liking.

Bigger rocks are slamming down now.

"Don't act like you don't know," I say, a little unsure now.

He raises his eyebrows. "We don't have time for games!"

Helen and I exchange a nervous glance. She must be thinking the same thing: what's going on? Either he's a really good actor or he really doesn't know what's going on.

Jessie finishes applying lip balm and exclaims, "You got the others out?!"

I nod and she wraps me in a hug. "I knew you'd do it!"

"Actually, it wasn't me--Jim and Lucas came back and we rescued the rest of the kids," I explain.

Jessie's expression hardens at the mention of Lucas.

A shower of rocks lands on the platform. Wait, this isn't just a platform. It's an altar.

"Hey! I'm still here!" Anton shouts, writhing painfully in his straps.

I frown. "Jacob told me you were the traitor," I admit. "I'm not sure I can trust you."

He has a distant look for a moment and remains silent and pensive for a moment, despite a few pebbles landing on his shirt. Then, his gray eyes light up in fear.

"Jacob?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say, getting a feeling of Déjà vu.

"He can't be trusted," Anton says.

Helen and I share a confused look.

"That's exactly what he said about you," Helen explains.

Anton has an expression of terror in his eyes. "You have to believe me."

"If you can offer a valid explanation, we'll let you go," Helen promises.

Anton swallows hard and watches the rocks fall in the distance. "He was contacting the monsters and I found out. I was going to stop him but he knew. And, and he drugged me in Iowa. You have to believe me--he's a son of Hypnos!"

Now it's my turn to get nervous. I look at Helen and she looks just as worried as I feel. "Jacob _was_ a son of Hypnos. All that yawning..." I say.

"He schemed with the monsters to save himself. He was going to lead us all to them," Anton explains, breathlessly.

I look down. Thats exactly what Jacob said Anton was doing.

"Okay, that's what _you've_ been accused of doing. How come he just drugged you and left you in Iowa? And how come he was chained here?" I ask.

He bites his lip as another tremor rocks the building. "I--I don't know. Maybe he thought no one would find me...Were the others chained too?"

"Wait!" he says, before I reply. "Were they awake?!"

"No. Ah, they were all asleep except for him. He was in my dream as well but he was the only one who was restrained," I say, realizing how sketchy things were.

Helen and I seem to realize it at the same time.

"He entered your dream, no surprise, as he's the son of Hypnos. He wasn't asleep because he's immune to those drugs. He must have been chained to remove suspicion," Anton concludes, exasperated.

Jessie looks at us, dagger in hand, and we nod.

"But if you aren't the deciever--" I begin.

"We have to save Jim and Lucas!" Helen finishes.

Anton gets up and rubs his wrists.

"Call him! Lucas, I mean," I say.

Jessie takes out her phone and dials Lucas.

"You know, at this point, I'm not even surprised that she has service down here," I joke.

Anton still looks troubled. "We got here before summer's time," he says as he examines his watch. "Still three hours till dawn. "We saved the campers from a land that is sublime," he says pointing up towards the now shaky estate. "Now--" he begins.

Jessie shakes her head. "He's not picking up."

We all jump when a boulder smashes into the ground.

"Let's go but...how do we get out of here?" I ask.

"The only exit is through that shaft," Anton explains.

"But how did you guys get here if that shaft wasn't open before?" Helen asks.

Anton shakes his head. "It was some kind of shadow travel, like the one Hades is known to use. We can't do that."

Jessie shrieks as a pebble shatters her pocket mirror.

"Then..." I look at my shoes. "This is our only ticket out."

"Grab on," I order.

Jessie willingly grabs my arm and snuggles a little too close for comfort but Helen stays to the side.

"What's wrong?!" I shout, the falling rocks too loud for normal conversation to be heard.

Helen shakes her head and my enthusiasm fades. 'One withheld at the altar of the king.' I look towards the altar and feel my heart shatter. I step in front of her.

"Not you, Helen. _P_ _lease_ ," I let out. "I can't lose you."

There is water in her eyes. "Such is the life of a demigod. I have to do this," she chokes out.

The roof is really coming down now. Stalagmites pierce the powder of what was once a Hippogriff.

"Helen, you mean too much to me. I can't leave you to die. Never," I say.

She just shakes her head slowly, tears running down her cheek and falling off of her chin.

I don't see the rocks coming down and smashing into the ground. I don't see the wounds on my leg. My stomach. My head. I only see the girl who's cared for me from the start. The girl who would always reassure me. The girl who nurtured me back to health whenever I was wounded. The girl who had saved my life numerous times. The girl who just wanted a peaceful life with her sister. The, simple, sweet girl whom I loved. I look at her again, and think, She's the most beautiful thing I ever set eyes upon. I realize I'm crying.

"Hel--" I begin but stop as someone places a hand on my shoulder. Anton. He must have been staring at me.

"I'll do it," he states. "I'll stay."

I stare at him and he shoves me back. I'm still confused as a rock smashes the place where I was just standing. "I'll stay here. I've been proud, all my life. Thinking I was superior to everyone simply because I was a child of Athena. Chiron didn't entrust me with the money of the group--I hoarded it because I thought I was the only one who could spend it the right way. I've done things in not proud of. This will be one right to conquer my many wrongs. I--" he's cut off as a series of stalagmites nearly skewer him.

"Go!" he shouts, pushing Helen and Jessie towards me.

Helen still looks shocked. The two of them hold on to my arms as I will the shoes to fly. I look up to the light coming from the shaft and then back at the now dilapidated altar.

I mouth the words 'thank you' as we rise slowly. For a terrifying moment, it seems like we're too heavy. But the shoes flap harder and we gain altitude. My arms feel the pull of gravity and I clench my teeth as I struggle to hold the two. They slip a little lower but I manage to hold them. I feel that same calm befall me. The calm I felt in my battles, during that football game. It had probably been there all my life. My father's blessing.

We're about twenty feet up when I last see Anton. He smiles grimly and I return his expression. Then, a vast stretch of the ceiling comes crashing down. By the time the ground clears of dust, we are already on the next floor.

When we look around, we notice this floor isn't doing so well either. The portraits have fallen off the walls and the chandeliers are swaying on the ceiling. "Which way is the exit?!" I shout.

We race down the hall and luckily for us, we don't need a door. We find a window and before we leave, I remember the others.

"Call Lucas to see how the others are doing. Warn him about Jacob," I say.

A glass decoration shatters nearby and the pieces spray everywhere. Jessie picks up her phone and calls.

She waits a few moments and then she says, "Hello?"

I hear some strange sounds coming from the other line but I'm too far to make out what's going on.

Jessie's face immediately turns to horror. "Lucas! Lucas!" she calls.

"What's going on?" Helen asks.

Jessie brings the phone down slowly. "He's in trouble."

A chandelier comes crashing down, the pieces scattering and showering everywhere. "We have to get out of here!" Helen exclaims.

I grab Helen's wrist and we jump through the window onto the grass. Luckily, we were on ground floor.

Jessie comes behind us and we all run until we reach a safe distance. Then, we pant and lean against a tree.

A car honks in the distance and we all jump. We turn to see a familiar red Jaguar with a door left ajar. Jim steps out of the car, his body bandaged and wrapped in numerous places. One cut in his side is fresh and unwrapped. It's then when I see two bodies to the side of the car. I realize they're corpses.

Jessie gasps and I realize why: one of the corpses belongs to Lucas. The other one is of Jacob.

"I was getting the campers to safety, so I had no idea what was going on. This kid stabbed Lucas when you called. He didn't make it," Jim says slowly.

"I finished the boy, just barely. He had some act going--we thought he couldnt handle a knife," Jim says, and points to his wounded side. Jim was the best sword fighter in camp.

Helen turns away and I stare at the ground. Big boy Ares, they had called him in jest. Even he didn't deserve this. So Anton was right, after all.

"One crossed at the sound of the ring," Helen says. The phone that rang. Who knew it was Lucas who would suffer." Her question is more of a statement.

We all just slump down and stare at the now devastated estate. No one speaks for a very long time.

Then, the first rays of sunlight start shining. Birds begin chirping in the distance. "In other news, we've saved the campers before summer's time. It's finally over," I say.

Helen smiles but it fades slowly. "I guess Echo wasn't a pawn in this game of chess."

"And Anton. We doubted him but he ended up being the most noble of us all," I add, plaintively.

We explain everything to Jim and he twirls his curly hair in his fingers. "So Mr. B. I think that's short for Busiris. A king of Egypt."

I snap my fingers. "Yes. That would explain his thick Egyptian accent."

"Legend has it, he would slay travelers in an attempt to end a drought in his land. Seems he was trying to slay you guys at the sacrificial altar at the crack of dawn. Pretty creepy if you ask me," Jim says, shrugging his shoulders.

"I wonder what his reasoning was for all this. Maybe his stocks weren't going his way and he was promised profits if he slayed some demigods," I say, and laugh at how ludicrous it sounds.

We bury Lucas and decide not to send an iris message just yet.

We give the other demigods money for a train ride home, and we part.

Pretty soon, we're on the highway, Fallout boy blaring. Helen beams as she takes out her finished product. She had been knitting it earlier but turns out, all of our stuff was still here.

She turns to me, holding something behind her and says, "Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

I smirk and say, "Fine." When I do as I'm told, she hands me something soft.

"You can open them now," she says.

My eyes open to a knit button-down shirt, blue and white in the center with navy blue sleeves.

I gape and Helen giggles. "Close your mouth before a fly goes in."

"Helen, I--this is great! How did you know I wanted a button down?" I ask.

She smiles wryly. "I saw your wardrobe when you came. Apart from one Naruto shirt and a few t shirts, all your shirts are button downs."

My cheeks feel hot. "I love it. Thanks."

"Alright love birds, I'm glad things are back to normal," Jim says.

The California sun is bright, but the son of Hermes has a future that's even brighter.


	11. Epilogue

**Six Years Later**

A bird chirped from a distant tree.

"Elise! Watch out for those fireworks--you never know what the Hephaestus kids are up to!" I call out.

Elise wrinkles her nose, frowns and releases the pyro equipment. She skips towards me in her blue knit sweater and boots and says, "Where's mommy?"

"--No Noah, not yet," says a familiar voice in the distance.

We both turn to see a woman walking with a toddler, who, judging by his crossed arms, was not happy.

"Does that answer your question?" I say, turning towards Elise.

She smiles, the glee almost bursting out of her. "Mommy! Mommy! Look what daddy showed me!" Elise says, and races towards the woman, tugging the cuffs of her dress, leading her towards a cabin.

The woman gives me a wry smile.

"Come! Come!" Elise exclaims, as she drags the woman along.

Once we're inside the cabin, Elise produces an old ballpoint pen.

"It's just a pen," Noah groans in disappointment.

Elise sticks out her tongue while the woman and I exchange a glance.

The woman picks up the ballpoint pen and says, "Now, Noah, is this just a pen?" as she removes the cap.

The pen grows and extends into a gleaming orange sword, riveted at the hilt.

Noah gapes and Elise says, "See! See! Daddy used this sword on his first quest. He must've slain like--a thousand monsters."

"Now Elise," I say, rubbing the back of my head, "a thousand would be a bit of an exaggeration."

Noah tries to pick up the sword but I wag my finger. "Your mother was actually on that quest with me. It was on that quest when I grew feelings for her."

Helen blushes and covers Riptide, returning it into a pen.

"Gross," Noah says, pretending to puke.

Elise only looks on in wonder.

"She also knit me a shirt, which I still have. Though," I say, scratching my head, "it doesn't fit anymore."

"But hey," I say, turning towards Noah, who is tampering with a ceiling lamp, "maybe you can wear it when you're old enough."

He looks at me and cocks his head, as if envisioning himself thirteen years in the future.

The ringing of a bell interrupts us.

"Come on kids, it's lunchtime. Join your guardian satyrs," Helen says, gently pushing them out of the room.

"Race you to the big house!" Elise yells.

"Last one there is a rotten Centuar!" Noah yells back, as they bound onto the path and eventually, out of sight.

I sit down on a bed and sigh. "I thought they'd never leave," I joke.

Helen smirks. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" she says, and takes a seat beside me.

I arch a brow.

"Since we've been on that quest," she adds. "So much has changed. I never would have imagined ending up here, married and all."

"Yeah," I concur, thinking back. "You were almost left behind."

She looks at me for a long time. "It's funny. Of all things, that is what you remember first."

"I mean--uh--I can never forget the quest that taught me to become proud wearing my own shoes," I say.

"I'm glad I spent it with you," I add, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and tapping her nose.

She pushes my hand away playfully and leans in. "You better be," she teases.

A strange rumbling sound stops us both. I realize it's coming from my stomach.

Helen stands up and grabs my hand. "Lets have some lunch, son of Hermes," and we stroll to our picnic table where we had shared countless meals and conversations.


End file.
